New Evil Rises
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: With the new power surging from the Sanzu River, a new and deadly threat arises.  What will this mean for the war against the Nighlock?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **You may notice, I'm changing up the origin of the Light Zord in this fic. I'm sorry, but I just don't buy the one in the show. There WAS no Light Samurai in ancient times, so why would there be an "ancient" Light Zord? Hope you like the story.

**Legal: **I do not own the rights to Power Rangers or the associated names, characters, events etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T-may be some adult themes.

He lay at the bottom of the river, his centuries-long slumber slowly coming to an end. While it had been centuries since he had last walked the land, spreading terror among the human realm, his consciousness was slowly returning to him. It had been only a short time since he had felt his mental connection to his servants returning enough that he could feel them once more, and command them. That was when he had sent his envoy to Master Xandred, just to let him know he was coming.

His faculties were returning more all the time. He was more aware of the movements of the energies in the Netherworld than he had been. During one of the ancient battles, he had been driven back to the Netherworld, and entered a state of torpor, a long, suspended sleep at the bottom of the Sanzu River. It was a sleep he was unsure when or even if he would awaken. However, recently things had stirred him.

Energy surges, unlike anything he had felt in centuries channelled into him through the evil, toxic waters of the Sanzu River, flooding his body with power once more. Each day, he built upon his power. Meanwhile, his mind was filled with images gathered from his servants, updating him on what had happened over the time since he had entered his slumber.

He had felt his contact with his servant Switchbeast being severed a few days ago. He had seen the images in his mind of the latest Green Samurai cutting him down. He wasn't overly concerned for the loss of his envoy. While Switchbeast had been a powerful and loyal servant, he had served his purpose, showing him what he was waking up to. His eyes opened with a start, and he rose.

Walking along the bed of the river, he rose slowly from the river, the waters running from his form as he emerged, striding confidently, regally onto the shore. Moogers started to rise out the rocks near him, surrounding him and kneeling in submission.

"My time to rejoin the war is at hand." He told them, looking across the water as he saw Xandred's Junk floating in the distance. "I have observed protocol by sending a messenger. Now, I suppose it is time to announce my presence in person."

With that, he summoned up his power, rising off the ground slowly, and beginning to levitate over the river.

In the Shiba House, the Rangers were just finishing up with their morning training, and heading off to get washed and changed for their spare time. Stephen had long since gone to work, and now that she was finding more and more time on her own in the house, Serena had gone out to start looking for a part time job. She still wanted to fulfil her commitments to the chores of the house, and her promise to train Spike and Bulk, but she was finding that the rest of her time, when she wasn't studying, was starting to really drag in. Basically she'd find herself waiting around, bored out of her mind until the others came home.

Jayden came into the room, finding Antonio wearing only a towel after his shower. He was in the process of looking for something to wear. Jayden took a deep breath as he tried to bring up what he wanted to discuss.

"So, are you going to do some fishing?" Jayden asked. "It seems like a nice day for it."

"This again?" Antonio asked him with a little smirk. "Make up your mind will you. Once you used to complain I always smelled of fish and I was never away from the water."

"I know, I never said you had to be out there every day." Jayden told him, taking another deep breath. "Antonio, it's been almost a week."

"So?" Antonio asked with a shrug. "What's the point in having your own business if you can't decide to take a little holiday when you want?"

"The last time I checked, if you want to earn money, you kind of need to open for business at some time." Jayden reminded him.

"Look, I just don't feel like it today alright?" Antonio asked a little wearily. He knew that Jayden was only trying to help, but right now, he couldn't face the thought of going fishing.

"So when will you feel like it?" Jayden asked. "Tomorrow?"

"Why is this such a big deal to you?" Antonio snapped. "I thought you liked spending time with me!"

"Alright, ease up Antonio." Jayden said quietly, backing up with his hands held up defensively. The Gold Ranger was starting to become really defensive, something that Jayden was sure meant something was wrong. "I didn't mean..."

"You want me to go fishing? Fine!" Antonio barked, grabbing some clothes and heading back into the bathroom to change. "I'll go to the beach once I get dressed. Are you happy now?"

He slammed the door behind him as he went inside. Jayden just looked on, completely dejected. He had an idea that Antonio wasn't telling him everything. He hadn't ever seen him go so long without handling, cooking or eating fish. Most days he had at least one portion of fish, such was his obsession he had once joked that he either loved fish or hated them given how many he must have eaten and cooked in his life, but over the last few days, he couldn't remember seeing Antonio touch fish, not even on the morning where Mentor Ji had cooked kippers for breakfast. He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out a drawer, starting to look out what he intended to wear that day.

"Jayden." Mentor Ji announced as he appeared in the doorway. Jayden saw him standing in his street clothing and smiled.

"Let me guess, Brenda." Jayden asked. He just nodded.

"I'm meeting her for lunch." Ji informed him. "I've got my Samuraizer on me if I'm needed."

"Have fun Ji." Jayden replied, wishing him well as he went. He looked back to the door as Antonio came out, having hastily dressed, and strode over to his cart, taking it in his hand and striding out of the house, slamming the door on his way. He just sighed. "At least one of us will have fun."

In the Apple store, Serena arrived, carrying a number of forms for jobs she had asked about, and a subway bag, containing some lunch for them both. She approached the Genius Bar, finding that he wasn't there. She smiled as she saw his supervisor. Clearly he was on his break.

"Hi Wendy." Serena said with a little smile. "Where is he?"

"He's in the back." She replied. While the store wasn't in the habit of letting members of the public just wander where they pleased, Serena had called on him so many times that they were used to her being around and just let it go. "He's working on something or other he brought from home."

"Thanks." Serena replied as she made her way into the back room. Moving past the shelves, housing parts, circuit boards, wires and some software packages, she found him at a table, working on a strange looking contraption. She laid down the Subway bag, rousing his attention.

"I thought you could do with some Teriyaki Chicken." She stated, leaning in and kissing him softly. He smiled as he unwrapped the sub, taking a huge bite. He looked to Serena as he gulped it down.

"How's the job hunt going?" He asked her. She just sighed.

"Great." She replied sarcastically. "If I want to spend all day flipping burgers or folding sweaters or...oh, there is one place that wants me to shovel mesquite."

"Wow." He replied, sucking his teeth.

"There's plenty in construction with all the monster attacks." She told him with a shrug. "I suppose it'd get me out in the fresh air, and I'd get a pretty good workout."

"I'm sure you'll find something." He assured her.

"I can't really afford to be choosy." She commented. "Mom and Dad only expected to pay an allowance for one of us; I can't expect them to keep paying my ticket out here."

"Well, whatever you do, I'm sure you'll do fine." He assured her, turning back to his project. He had a number of components around him. One of the things he was making use of in his job was the employee discount. He had access to far more equipment here than he did at home.

"So...what is this exactly?" She asked him.

"This?" He asked. He looked around to make sure no one was listening, before giving her that childish grin she always loved to see whenever he was excited. "I'm trying my hand at creating a new Zord for the team."

"A new Zord?" Serena asked him.

"When I was working on the Black Box, I saw so much, and I learned so much, it just gave me ideas!" He told her. "When this thing's up and running, it'll blow their minds!"

"Uh...Peter?" She said a little sceptically. "It's a lantern. You can pick them up in town for like twenty dollars."

"But..."

"And they have invented a little thing called flashlights." She told him. He just laughed.

"Well, can a flashlight form into a fully autonomous Megazord?" He asked her. "When this baby's done, Xandred won't know what hit him!"

"Well, you certainly sound confident." Serena replied. "So, have you thought of a name yet?"

"Well, the Symbol Power I've worked most closely with is Antonio's so I'm designing it with that in mind." He told her. "Say hello to the Light Zord!"

"The Light Zord?" She asked him. "Don't you think Antonio has enough toys?"

"Well..."

"Jayden, Mike and Kevin all have two Zords." She reminded him. "Emily and Mia only have one, and Ji...he doesn't have a Zord at all, the Metal Samurai's Zord was lost centuries ago. Antonio has the Claw Zord and the Octozord, and you want to give him a third? Not only that, but another Megazord?"

"Well, he can't use Super Samurai Mode." He reminded her. "His Barracuda Blade isn't compatible with the Black Box, so I felt kind of bad about it."

"Well, if you ever finish it, I'm sure it'll be brilliant." She assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Just like you."

She kissed him softly, only for them to be interrupted as Wendy came in and cleared her throat to remind them of her presence.

"If it's not too much of an interruption, some of the others would like to go for lunch too." She stated. Stephen just sighed, putting the Lantern Zord into a carrier bag and handed it to Serena to take home for him to work on there.

"No rest of the wicked I guess." He commented.

"I guess not." Serena replied, putting her forms in the bag. "I have a lot of writing to do. I'll see you at home."

With one more soft kiss, she left, allowing Stephen to pick up his lunch and head back to the desk to continue his shift.

Over at the school, Mal nudged Spike to wake him up as he noticed him nodding off during geography. Spike just nodded gratefully and tried to focus on the subject at hand.

He was completely exhausted. He only had another couple of days until his next date with Melanie, and none of the neighbours had paid him yet. When he wasn't in school, studying or training with Serena and his uncle, he was looking around the neighbourhood for odd jobs. The word had spread, and the neighbours had been only too happy to find tasks for him to do, but it was exhausting. Mrs. Forsythe, the old lady down the street from him, had made him clean out her attic, something that had taken him a couple of hours, but had left him feeling like he'd received the kind of workout that would mean he wouldn't need a gym for years.

A couple of desks over though, Vicky couldn't help feeling badly. She knew that Spike was running himself ragged to get money for his date. Although his parents were wealthy, they never encouraged him to rely on that, and paid him no more in allowance than any other teenager, keeping most of the money in trust for him when he was older.

What hurt the most was knowing that his efforts were all in vain. She could still remember what she had heard Melanie say to her friends in the bathroom. She had no genuine interest in Spike, beyond the fact he was the current flavour of the month at the school, and the fact she had found out his parents had money. Since he had won the fight in the football field, and the video had hit YouTube, currently ranking somewhere in the reason of 270,000 hits, he had been somewhat of the school celebrity. Despite still being 'a dork', he was given a wide berth, and a lot of respect by the other kids.

She still couldn't find a way to tell him what had happened. He was busy working himself to the bone to afford the expensive dates Melanie seemed to want him to take her on. She wanted to tell him what she had heard, to tell him that it was all for nothing, and to expose Melanie as the two faced bitch she really was, but any time she approached him, she found herself unable to do it. She just couldn't do it to him. For one thing, he seemed completely besotted by her. She had no idea if he'd even believe her if she told him. Beyond that, it killed her to think of what it would do to him to hear that the girl who took him from z-list to a-list overnight only wanted him for his money...money that, as far as she knew, Melanie had no idea he didn't actually have access to.

As the bell mercifully rang, she gathered up her belongings, and Mal joined her. She noticed that Curtis, the new first-string quarterback, approached Spike.

"Hey Spike, what's up?" He asked. Spike just looked a little confused.

"Not much." He replied. "Why?"

"It's just; my parents are out of town this weekend." He told him. "My sister's taking care of the house, but she'll be too busy playing house with her boyfriend across town. I was going to have a pool party, and I wondered if you'd like to come."

"I'd love to." Spike started to say. "But I can't, on Friday..."

"The party's Saturday night!" Curtis piped up. "My place is a block over from yours. Come by around eight."

"That sounds great!" Mal chimed in as they arrived. Curtis' pool parties were something of a legend in the school. Everyone who was anyone went to them.

"Well...uh..."

"Yeah, we could all meet up there!" Spike suggested. "Vicky, do you think Jimmy...?"

"Wait, your kid brother?" Curtis asked her. "Isn't he a freshman?"

"Yeah, but he is kind of cool." Spike told him. Vicky had a little bit of a dark look on her face as he said this. Jimmy was Spike's friend, and he was referring to him as merely being 'kind of cool'? As much as she thought her brother could be a complete dufus at times, she really thought Spike was underselling his friendship. Curtis just looked around the group, and seemed to think about it for a moment, before smiling.

"Hey, if they're with you they're cool right?" He asked, slapping Spike on the shoulder hard enough to knock him off balance, and almost off his feet altogether. "There'll be plenty of beer. I'll see you all there!"

"Well, that's the weekend sorted." Spike commented with a little proud smirk on his face. If he was going to Curtis' party, then he was sure Melanie would take that over another date, and it would mean his money wouldn't have to stretch to two over the weekend.

As he left though, Mal saw that Vicky was watching him with a gloomy demeanour. He approached her slowly.

"So...not thrilled about the weekend?" He asked her. Vicky shook her head.

"No, it's fine." She told him. As she left, Mal just sighed.

"That was so convincing." He commented sarcastically as he followed his friends.

Mentor Ji arrived at Brenda's office building, carrying a couple of flowers he had cut from his garden. He knew she loved his garden, and he was eager to present something to her. It was a busy time for her. With the weather improving, people were eating out more, which meant more complaints about restaurants were coming into the health department. He accepted that it was part of her job, and he was able to take a lunch date with her as the rare opportunity it was.

As he arrived on her floor though, he could hear an incredible commotion. He looked to her office, where the door was open, and an irate man was standing screaming at her, waving a letter around frantically. He started to make his way over, heading into her office, to find Brenda standing behind her desk, leaning across it like a soldier at a besieged battlement.

"How dare you close my restaurant?" The man screamed at her, continuing to wave his arms around wildly. He was as tall as Ji, and also quite muscular. He had dark, olive skin, and long, black hair tied back in a pony tail. He was wearing an expensive red silk shirt and designer jeans, with a gold watch that was a grossly flamboyant display of wealth. "My family's been in business for thirty seven years!"

"Calm down Mr. Costaz." She warned him, maintaining her composure as much as she could. She hadn't seen Ji yet. "The letter explains..."

"The letter explains you're shutting me down on the busiest week of the year so far!" He screamed at her, slamming the letter down.

"If you'd just read it, you'd see we've done a thorough investigation." She told him. "It takes one code red infringement to warrant a closure, we found thirty six!"

"Alright, I see what this is." He spat angrily, pulling out his wallet. "My family's been in business long enough to know how this works."

He slid some money over to her, but she just slid it back.

"Some people work that way, but I don't." She told him. "Now, as the report says, it's only a temporary closure. We'll inspect the premises again in a fortnight. If I'm satisfied, I'll certify it ready to open."

"Do you want more?" He roared, reaching into his wallet. She just slammed her hands down.

"I'll ignore the fact you're trying to bribe me!" She told him with authority. "Do the work, clean up your act, and I'll re-open your restaurant."

"You..."

"Get out now or I'll call security!" She warned him, glaring at him seriously. "I have no reservations about having you charged."

"You haven't heard the last of this!" He hissed as he picked up his money and left, bumping shoulders with Ji on the way out. The Black Samurai just whistled as he shook his head, closing the door.

"You know how to make friends." He remarked.

"It's an occupational hazard." She groaned, shaking her head. Ji took her jacket from the coat hook on the door and offered it to her.

"If you don't want..."

"Trust me, after that, I could do with a break." She assured him, pulling on her jacket. "So, where are you taking me?"

"That's a bit of a redundant question isn't it?" He chuckled as they got to the elevator, stepping inside. "You know all the safe places to eat."

Over by the beach, Antonio sat on his folding chair on the beach, just as he had done dozens of times since he had arrived back in the city. This time though was different, uncharacteristically; he did not have a rod in his hand. All his rods were clipped to the side of the cart. As he watched the calming waves rolling in, he couldn't even think about what lay beneath the waves.

He had loved fish all his life. His father had been a fisherman, his grandfather too. Indeed, his family had been involved in the fish markets for so long, none of them were entirely sure how many generations of Garcias had been fishermen.

However, he was sure none of them had ever BEEN a fish. He could recall with vivid detail being trapped, helpless inside the body of the fish. That wasn't the worst part though, what was the worst was what happened as Emily and Mike ran out to face the Nighlock, inadvertently leaving him on the counter, and the door wide open. He could only watch helplessly as the neighbourhood stray cat came into the kitchen. He screamed for help as he saw it hop over furniture making its way to the counter. He only snapped back after it had sunk its teeth in for the first bite.

Since then, any time he thought about fish, he felt sick to his stomach. He could only think about the impending doom of knowing he was about to meet his end without being able to do anything about it. When he actually saw a fish in the freezer, he had practically had a heart attack, taking a considerable amount of time to recover. In the end, he had only one thought.

"I'm a fisherman who's afraid of fish." He muttered to himself. "How pathetic is that?"

He also hadn't morphed, something he was thankful for. Given his obsession, when he programmed his own Ranger mode, pretty much everything he had was fish themed. Even his sword was shaped like a Barracuda. He was ripped from his thoughts as his morpher sounded.

"Antonio." Jayden stated. "There's a Mooger attack in the city. The coordinates are in your morpher."

Antonio couldn't answer. He knew he was part of the team, he had fought so long to be a part of the team, and now he was, he was feeling completely helpless. Reasoning that it was only Moogers, he tried to steady his mind. Maybe he would be able to handle it.

"Antonio?" Jayden reiterated. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I got it." He replied, flipping it away. He knew how hard it was to drive himself to this battle, and he already knew it wouldn't be a big thing. Now, more than ever, he knew the choice he had to make.

"Time to go into battle." He sighed. "For the last time."


	2. Fear and Danger

Ji was sitting across from Brenda, laughing and talking with her when his morpher bleeped. He took it out and looked to her apologetically. At least the others had gotten together with another Ranger, and so they understood the responsibility the morpher carried. Brenda just took his hand softly.

"Another attack?" She asked him. He nodded regretfully.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's alright, I understand." She assured him. "I can get back to the office by myself. I'm a big girl. They need you."

"I'll make it up to you." He assured her, kissing her cheek as he got up from the table, throwing on his jacket. "I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." She replied with a little laugh as he left. She turned her attention back to her pasta salad, eating up as he left. As he ran off, easily vaulting a waist-high fence, she couldn't help but be impressed. She was dating a super hero.

Over at another part of town, Jayden, Mike, Kevin, Emily and Mia arrived, finding Moogers running around in a shopping centre, scaring up the humans there. They were all already morphed and ready for battle.

"Where's Antonio?" Kevin asked.

"He said he'd be here." Jayden told him. Almost on cue, Antonio arrived beside them, moving slowly, with a glum look on his face. He started typing the keys on his morpher, inputting the combination. Jayden could already see that something was wrong with him the way he acted. He wasn't showing any confidence at all.

"Go go Samurai." He muttered half-heartedly at best. "Gold Power."

He was transformed into the Gold Ranger, but could already find himself trembling, and going weak at the knees. One thing he had forgotten, something he hadn't factored in when he decided he could handle Moogers was that even they reminded him of fish. They were modelled after barnacles. He trembled as the Rangers ran into battle.

"Antonio, what gives?" Mike called out as they started to tackle the Moogers, slicing them down with practiced ease. "Dude, snap out of it!"

He started to make his way forward, but every fibre of his being told him to run, screamed at him to find somewhere to hide. Jayden saw his hesitation and called out to him.

"Antonio, do something!" He screamed at him. "Get your Barracuda Blade and help!"

Antonio pulled his weapon out, but as soon as he saw it in his hands, all he could see was himself as a fish, helplessly watching and waiting as the cat closed in on him to feast. Something inside him snapped and he just collapsed to his knees, dropping his Barracuda Blade and covering his head with his hands, whimpering in terror.

"Antonio!" Jayden called out as he saw this. He wasn't doing anything to defend himself. He started to run over as some Moogers saw the prone Gold Ranger. Only the timely arrival of the Black Ranger stopped them taking advantage as Ji arrived, tackling them with his Steel Naginata. Before long, the Moogers were gone, and the Rangers were alone. Antonio de-morphed with the others, and just sat, trembling in terror.

"Antonio?" Jayden asked him. He placed a hand on his shoulder softly. "Antonio."

The Gold Ranger wasn't answering though. He just continued to shake. Emily saw he had dropped his Barracuda Blade a little way off, and picked it up, presenting it to him.

"We should get him home." She stated. "Here, you don't want to forget this."

As he saw it though, Antonio just swatted it away, sending it flying from her hand. He huddled into himself, turning away from it. Ji looked to Jayden.

"I left Brenda." He told him. So far, he hadn't gotten around to telling them that Brenda knew about them. Jayden just nodded, thinking that Ji would have to come up with a reasonable explanation why he had left in the middle of a date. "You should get him back to the Shiba House. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Alright Antonio." Jayden said reassuringly as he and Mike helped him to his feet. "It's safe now. We'll get you back."

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Octoroo and Xandred noticed something odd. A number of Moogers, both regular and giant were congregating on the shore nearby, spilling out of gaps. Xandred had not ordered them to assemble, and given the fact that recently, a Nighlock had referred to another 'master', he could not write off the possibility their loyalty was not to him.

"What's up with all the Moogers?" Octoroo asked. "They really seem to be riled up."

"That would be my doing." A regal voice stated nonchalantly. A Nighlock rose up from under the window, levitating over the river and landed gently on the deck. Octoroo backed away, sensing his power.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Serrator." Xandred snarled. "I might have known Switchbeast was talking about you."

"Yes, my envoy was here to smooth my entry." He replied.

"You always did have delusions of grandeur." Xandred sneered. "What are you doing back?"

"I have been resting at the bottom of the river for some time." Serrator told them. "I have been infusing myself with energy ever since my last battle, amassing my power."

As a demonstration, he fired a bolt out the side of the ship, utterly destroying the Moogers on the shore, leaving no trace of their existence. Octoroo could hardly believe the power he had displayed. Serrator got down on his knees before Xandred.

"I have come to pledge myself to you." He told him. "With my help, you can be free of the Samurai Rangers." Xandred was unconvinced by this. Serrator had never been known for loyalty. He had never served Xandred before, so why would he do so now when he had that level of power. Xandred was sure he could expect an attempt to overthrow him. He drew his sword and swung it for the powerful Nighlock, but Serrator stunned him, by not even attempting to move or block the blow, taking it on the shoulder. Xandred just looked to him.

"Why do you not fight?" He asked.

"I wanted to demonstrate my unswerving loyalty to you." He told him. "Allow me to prove myself."

"Face the Samurai." Xandred ordered him. "If you come back, perhaps we will have something to discuss."

"Of course." He replied. "As you wish."

"Antonio's afraid of fish?" Serena asked, completely dumbfounded. Ji was still out of the house, going back to explain things to Brenda, leaving Serena and the other Rangers to deal with the situation at home. After the disaster at the battle earlier, he could no longer keep quiet and had told the others about the nauseating, paralysing panic attacks he was having whenever he thought about fish. "Seriously, that's like the Pilsbury Dough Boy being scared of bread."

"When we got turned into objects, Antonio was turned into a fish." Mia reminded them.

"So?" Kevin asked. "We all had it rough. You don't see me running scared from Ballerinas do you?"

"You weren't almost eaten." Mike interjected. "Antonio was."

Jayden just stroked Antonio's shoulders in a comforting gesture as Emily got him a drink of water.

"It's true, I'm a fisherman that's afraid of fish." He whispered, before holding up his glass. "The Golden Age of Antonio Garcia is over."

"Golden Age?" Kevin replied, rolling his eyes.

"Alright, he can't be that bad." Mike stated. "He's still cracking gold jokes." Emily just gave both of them a little glare, before looking back to Antonio.

"Antonio, we all get scared." She told him.

"You don't get it. I was almost eaten!" He responded. "By a cat!"

"Shouldn't he be scared of cats then?" Serena asked.

"Fears are rarely logical." Jayden reminded her. "Look, we'll help you through this..."

"Jayden, all my equipment, all my weapons...all of them are fish based." He reminded him. "I can't do it. I can't be the Gold Ranger anymore."

Before they could stop him, he made his way into the bedroom and closed the door. Jayden just sighed.

"Let him rest up for a while." Jayden told them. "In the meantime, we can decide what we're going to do about this."

"Antonio's our friend." Mia stated. "He would help us."

"OK, I think I might have an idea." Kevin told them. "When I was training, the coach had a strict rule. No one sacrificed their education. If you weren't studying, he wouldn't train you. He insisted that all of us gets a college qualification to fall back on because athletics is always a short-term thing."

"So?" Mike asked him.

"I have a qualification in sport's science. I planned on becoming a coach once I retired from competition." He told them. "I did some modules in psychology."

"So, you think you can cure him?" Mia asked him. He just shrugged.

"I can try." He told them. "But it'll take a bit of sacrifice from all of us."

"How much of a sacrifice?" Emily asked, becoming concerned. Kevin just got a little smirk on his face.

"Let's just say, I think we're all going to learn a little something about each other." He told her.

Ji was just heading back to the Shiba House, having told Brenda about the battle. She understood that he needed to go, but he wanted to make sure she understood that he would be needed at the house. He explained about Antonio, saying that while he wasn't sure what he was going through, it was clear he was troubled by something, and that was something he needed to help with.

He heard his cell phone ringing, and checked the caller ID. He smiled as he realised it was Brenda.

"I did just leave you." He commented.

"I know, it's just...I really wanted to tell you that despite everything I had a great time." She told him.

"I did as well." He answered.

"Give Antonio my best when you see him." She told him. "I really hope you can help him."

"I do as well." Ji replied.

"Listen, I was going to invite you to dinner at my place this weekend." She told him. "I understand if..."

"That sounds like it would be wonderful." He assured her. "I will call you later to confirm if I am coming. I need to be sure of Antonio's condition."

"I understand." She told him. "I love you Ji." Ji smiled as he heard her say this.

"I love you too." He replied, hanging up.

Back at the Shiba House, Emily looked to Antonio as he sat on a stool. After allowing him to rest for a while, Kevin had told them that he had everything he needed set up for his intervention.

"It's alright Antonio, everyone has fears." Emily told him. "It's alright to be scared. All you have to do is not be ruled by your fears. We're all going to face our fears together alright? It's called Aversion Therapy."

"Immersion Therapy." Kevin corrected her. Emily just looked to him. "What? It is! Aversion Therapy is when you use classical conditioning to break a habitual behaviour by associating it with a negative stimulus..."

"Is that really the point?" Jayden asked him. "We're here for Antonio." He reminded him.

"Sure." Kevin responded. "My bad."

Jayden sat directly where Antonio could see him and took a deep breath. He had agreed to go first.

"You remember that time when we were kids and I got bitten by a spider in the garden?" Jayden asked him. Antonio nodded his head.

"Yeah, you were sick for days afterwards." He recalled. "If it wasn't a young spider, you'd probably have needed to go to hospital."

"Well, I don't advertise the fact, but I've been terrified of spiders ever since." Jayden told the others. "Needless to say taking down Arachnitor was cathartic."

"So, are you ready?" Mia asked him. Jayden pulled off his t-shirt and nodded his head.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He told her. Mia was holding an upturned tea cup, with a piece of card underneath it. Jayden held out his hand, at which Mia placed the cup on it, sliding out the card. Jayden's face started to go pale as soon as she did so. All it took was feeling the legs on his skin and he started to tremble. Mia removed the cup, confirming that there was a large spider inside. Jayden's eyes were wide as he just stared at it, crawling up his arm.

"When I was a kid, I hid in the janitor's closet to skip Maths class." Mike explained as he went towards the cupboard. "The janitor locked me in. I was there all night before anyone found me."

Kevin opened the door to the broom cupboard, which Mike saw was looking more than a little full. He looked to the Blue Ranger, pointing inside.

"You said you'd empty it." He stated.

"I lied." Kevin replied mischievously, shoving a tutu into Mike's hands. "Payback time."

He shoved Mike inside and locked the door, at which the Green Ranger started pounding on the door in a panic. He chuckled a little as he turned around, only to see that the girls were far from impressed. "What? I couldn't resist."

"Frogs make Mia's skin crawl." Emily told him, opening her hands and showing that she was holding a frog. Mia looked more than a little apprehensive.

"Are you sure I can't just touch it?" She asked.

"Come on, you love all those fairy tales." Kevin teased her. "You never know. Maybe this one will be a prince."

Mia moved slowly and hesitantly, but eventually pressed her lips to the frog. She started to wipe off her mouth as soon as it was done, looking rather ill. Kevin got a little smirk on his face.

"Alright, now it's my little helper's turn." He told Antonio. He put a box, covered in a sheet down on the table next to Antonio. Emily sat down next to him, putting an arm around him as she pulled a closh off a plate in front of him, revealing a whole salmon. Antonio looked to her in alarm.

"You've touched thousands of fish before. This one's no different." Emily told him as Kevin pulled the cover off the box, revealing that it was covering a cage. Inside, was a huge, white rat. "We'll do it together alright?"

He nodded his head as Emily reached for the door to the cage.

"One, two...three!" She rhymed off, reaching inside and picking up the rat. She could feel all the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as its tail swished around. She looked to Antonio, who almost touched the fish, but pulled away again sharply.

"I can't do it!" She called out, turning away. Just then, the Gap Sensor sounded. Kevin rolled his eyes.

"Great, perfect timing." He muttered. Jayden looked thoroughly relieved as he brushed the spider off his shoulder, pulling his t-shirt back on. Serena unlocked the cupboard, allowing Mike out.

"I'll stay with him." Serena told them. "He's in no state to help like this."

With that, they all ran out to respond to the latest attack.

"It's alright Antonio, you're not alone." She assured him.

"No." He replied. "We have the spider and the rat for company."

Serena looked around as he said this. In her hurry to leave, Emily had left the cage open, and now the rat was nowhere to be seen. Jayden hadn't made any effort to confine the spider either, and it too was gone. Serena just sighed.

"Great, nice job guys." She muttered, beginning to look around for the runaway animals. "I'll clean up as usual."

Brenda made her way through the parking lot, heading towards her car. She started to look out her keys, and approached the side door, before a shadow flickered past. She spun around, startled, but seeing him approaching, she just rolled her eyes.

"Mr Costaz, I told you, the matter's closed." She told him.

"Perhaps not." He told her, pulling out an envelope and handing it to her. Brenda didn't need to open it to know that it was full of money. Mr. Costaz was still clearly angry, but he was trying to keep his cool, hoping that if he wasn't screaming at her, she would accept his increased offer. "There is two thousand dollars in there..."

"Mr. Costaz, this isn't about money, I'm not for sale!" She reiterated, shoving the envelope back into his hand. "Your restaurant presented a significant danger to the health of the public! I had to report it!"

"Then how much will it take?" He asked her. "The Globetrotter's exhibition match is this weekend at the stadium across the street! If I'm not open..."

"Mr. Costaz, you don't get it. I'm not accepting a bribe, no matter how much you offer me!" She told him. "It's a moot point anyway, I've already filed the report with the board. I couldn't overturn their decision even if I wanted to."

He started to approach her, bearing over her in an attempt to intimidate her, causing her to reach for the pepper spray in her purse. She pulled it out, showing him she had it, indicating to him to back off.

"Go home Mr. Costaz." She told him. "If you try to bribe me or accost me again, I'll get the police involved. Just go home."

He started to walk away, clearly still far from happy, at which she put her pepper spray away. As she turned back to her car, she heard something behind her. She rolled her eyes and turned around.

"I'm warning you Mr..."

Her words were cut off as a loud noise rang out, echoing around the parking structure. She felt like she had been punched hard in the chest, and reached for the wound, only to find warm blood running between her fingers. A second shot rang out, and she fell to the ground. As the world started to fade, she saw the unmistakable form of a man standing over her, pointing at her. A third shot rang out, at which the world faded to black. The last thing she heard was the sound of shoes on the tarmac as her attacker ran away, leaving her lying on the floor.


	3. Serrator's Debut

Jayden, Kevin, Mike, Emily and Mia arrived at the location given to them by their morphers, finding a couple of Spitfangs on a cliff overlooking the city, firing a barrage of blasts into the centre of it. It sickened them all to think of the kind of damage they could be doing without any way of knowing. Firing randomly into the city, there was no way to tell what they could be hitting. Hospitals, restaurants, schools...they couldn't let it continue, the casualties could mount up into dizzying numbers without even trying.

"Spitfangs!" Jayden called out. "We need to shut them down!"

"Go Go Samurai!" They chorused, tracing their element symbols in the air, casting them forward. They transformed into their Ranger forms, before running towards the Spitfangs, intending to take them out. They were beaten to the punch however as a huge explosion sent them all tumbling away, and utterly destroying the Spitfangs. Mike shook the cobwebs clear as he started to come to.

"What the hell was that?" He asked.

"Whatever it was, they didn't even care about their own Spitfangs." Kevin pointed out as they all struggled back to their feet.

"Why would I? They are such insignificant creatures, unworthy of my notice." A Nighlock drawled casually as he stepped into view. "So, you are the new Samurai Rangers? I'm not impressed. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Serrator."

He gave them all a low, regal bow, before drawing his sword.

"And now, you're fertiliser!" Mike called out as the Rangers rushed to the attack. Serrator just prepared for their initial onslaught.

Over at the parking complex, an ambulance raced in with its siren blaring. A parking attendant was kneeling over Brenda, covering her with a jacket, and holding the worst of the wounds, placing pressure on it to stop it bleeding. He looked up at the paramedics as they ran to her side.

"What happened here?" One of them asked.

"I don't know, I was on my rounds and I heard what I thought was a car backfiring." The parking attendant told them. "I heard it a couple more times...by the time I arrived, I found her lying here."

"Do you know her?" He asked. The parking attendant just shook his head.

"She parks here each day, but I've only been here about two months." He admitted. "I don't know what happened, I just found her here."

"Alright, just try to calm down sir." The paramedic said as he tore open her blouse to see what he was up against. It was stained heavily with blood. "Right, let's get her onto the ambulance. There's not much more we can do here."

As he searched her for any signs of medical alert jewellery or medication, he found her cell phone and her wallet. He put them aside for later. In the case of gunshot injuries, the police had to be alerted, and so far this was the only indication he had of who she was. His partner arrived with the stretcher, laying it down next to her.

"It's alright, just try to hang on." He beckoned her. "We'll get you help soon."

Back at the Shiba House, Antonio was sitting, chewing on his fingernails nervously as he kept track of the Rangers' battle. He had never seen them have this level of trouble from a Nighlock since they had unlocked the Black Box. He watched the wire feed as Jayden was sent bouncing off a building, before landing on the ground, hardly moving.

"Where's Ji?" He asked Serena. "He should be there."

"You should be there." She responded. "Ji was on the other side of town. He's not Superman you know."

"Serena, you know I can't..."

"Antonio, you can't let the fact you're afraid stop you." She told him. "Don't you think I was scared when Ji sent me half way around the world and back?"

"It isn't the same Serena, I'm not just scared, I'm terrified!" He explained. "Any time I think about fish, my stomach just tenses up so badly it hurts! When I see one, I just freeze!"

Serena was quickly losing patience with him. So far she had found the spider and recaptured it, but the rat was proving far more elusive. She didn't really have it in her to argue with him; all she knew was that they needed help.

"Antonio, you can see what's happening. You know they need you!" She told him.

"Don't you think I want to help?" He asked her. "They're my friends too! Do you think I like watching them getting their asses handed to them?"

"Then do something about it!" She snapped at him.

"How can I when every weapon I have makes me want to scream and run!" He asked her. Serena was about to answer, but then her eyes rested on something. There by the forms she had been filling out was the bag Stephen had given her to take home from the store. She smiled and grabbed it, placing it down in front of Antonio.

"You have a thing about fish right?" She asked him, pulling out the Light Zord. "How do you feel about lanterns?"

"Uh...alright I guess." He mumbled, looking confused. "What do you want me to do? Blind him?"

"Stephen's been working on it, it's a new Zord." She told him. "It works on your symbol power."

"Is it...is it ready?" He asked.

"Do you have time to worry about finding out?" Serena asked him. He just pulled out his samuraizer and tapped a few keys. As he started to work, Serena stopped by the salmon. She tore into it with her fingers, ripping off a portion, before approaching Antonio and tapping him on the shoulder.

"What now?" He asked, only to almost choke as she rammed it into his mouth, before holding a hand over his nose and mouth. He swallowed it as forced, at which she let him go, allowing him to cough. "What the hell? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Programme the Zord, grow a pair and head out there and help your friends!" She told him. "Otherwise the rest of it follows."

Antonio just nodded nervously, before starting his work.

Back at the battle site, Serrator was having a whale of a time, smashing the Rangers from pillar to post. He knew that they were unprepared for him, and he was far more powerful than they were equipped to deal with.

Sending Emily through some nearby bushes, he backed up as Jayden rejoined the battle with his Fire Smasher. He deflected a few strikes as Jayden prepared for a decisive attack.

"Cannon Blast Mode!" He called out, converting the weapon into cannon mode. He launched the attack, but to his horror, all it did was force Serrator back a couple of paces. He watched as, laughing at the attack, Serrator just formed it into a ball.

"You are so far outmatched; it's almost embarrassing to defeat you." He stated. He kicked the ball straight at him. Jayden fell to the ground, and struggled to get up. He pulled out the Black Box, hoping that their one remaining trump card would work.

"Hey, over here!" Antonio announced, arriving on the scene with a bizarre looking device in his hands. He presented it to them.

"Antonio!" Kevin called out. "Get out of here..."

"Sorry Kevin, but as scared as I am, I can't stand by and do nothing." He told them. "And I have a little something courtesy of Stephen that will really wipe the smile off this guy's face."

"I doubt it." Serrator taunted him. "But first, let's make sure your friends don't think I've neglected them."

He pulled out a piece of paper, and used his claws to cut it into a shape. He threw it into the air, at which it turned into a gigantic creature, towering over them. "Meet Papyrax! He will obey all my commands and thoughts. He will keep you busy while I deal with your annoying little friend."

Jayden could feel his power levels dipping, but knew he didn't have much of a choice. He would have to hope that he had enough to take care of Papyrax. The Rangers all joined him as he called forth the Zords, utilising the power of the Black Box.

Antonio meanwhile prepared a guard. He was beginning to appreciate all the time Jayden had spent encouraging them to train with other weapons. The Light Zord was a strange device, kind of a combination blaster and shield, while the other part was like an axe. He confronted Serrator.

He watched the Nighlock starting to sprint for him, and with a little prayer that Stephen knew as much as he thought he did about Zord technology. He pulled the trigger firing off a barrage of power disks. Serrator blocked a couple, but a few of them got through his guard, staggering him. Antonio ran forward, feeling the power of the Zord channelling through him, and swung the blade, smashing it into Serrator's shoulder. The Nighlock screamed in pain, clutching his arm as it hung uselessly at his side.

"This...this is the kind of power I'd expect from Master Xandred!" He commented. "Another time Gold Ranger!"

As he disappeared, Antonio held up the Light Zord, smiling at it.

"Stephen, you are a genius!" He called out. "I so owe you dinner!"

"It has more to offer." He heard Stephen's voice say. Antonio just pulled out his morpher, looking to it.

"Stephen?" He asked. "Aren't you...?"

"I got home a couple of minutes ago." He told him. "Serena filled me in. Now, the Light Zord can become a fully autonomous Zord. Just combine the blade and the lantern and command it."

Antonio did as he was told, at which he watched in awe as the Zord grew, forming into its battle mode. He stood and watched as it joined the battle, saving the struggling Samurai Megazord.

"Wow, this thing is amazing!" Antonio commented. "Excelliente!"

"Wow, that Light Zord is really something." Jayden remarked as he saw Papyrax fell to the ground.

"Alright buddy, finish him off!" Antonio called out. The Light Zord powered up, preparing to attack...before slumping down and standing inert. Antonio and the others all just stared at it.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." Mike remarked.

"Stephen, it's not doing anything!" Antonio told him.

"It wasn't finished, it wasn't ready to..." He thought about it for a moment. "Percussion engineering!"

"What?" Jayden asked.

"It needs a jolt!" Stephen told them. "Hit it in the butt!"

"Would you mind saying that again?" Jayden asked.

"Jayden trust me, smack its ass!" Stephen told him. The Megazord stood by the inert Zord and brought back its hand, before smacking it on the backside as hard as it could. The Light Zord suddenly snapped upright and started firing out Power Disks. They all watched as Papyrax was literally sliced to ribbons by the flying disks, before exploding. Antonio leapt into the air in excitement.

"Yeah, that's the way it's done!" He called out. "Stephen, you are SO getting the biggest piece of salmon you've ever seen when I get home!"

"Glad I could help." He replied. As he put his communicator down, Serena was just looking at him with a huge grin on her face.

"Amazing does not even begin to describe you." She told him, pulling him in and kissing him passionately. Stephen looked a little flustered as he parted from her eventually.

"Um...thanks." He told her. "Uh...Serena...?"

Before he could say anything else, she grabbed him and dragged him to their room, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him intently. She reached behind him, grabbing the door and pushed it closed.

Ji arrived at the battle site, finding that he was too late. He had come as quickly as he could, but the battle was already over. The Rangers were all gathered around, congratulating Antonio on their victory.

"Antonio." He wheezed out breathlessly. "You came?"

"I was scared." Antonio told them honestly with a shrug. "But the thought of losing you was even scarier."

"So, are you over your fear or not?" Mike asked him.

"I think it'll be a while before I'm fishing every day or anything." He admitted. "But who knows? One step at a time, maybe I'll get back to normal."

"As normal as you get anyway." Jayden teased him, ruffling his hair. Antonio and the others just laughed.

"Well, for starters, how about I just cook us up some dinner?" He asked. "I doubt some prepared fish are going to hurt me."

Just then, Mentor Ji's morpher rang. He answered it with a smile on his face. The Rangers were here, and Serena and Stephen would see them at home. There was only one other person he could think would call him.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hello, is this Ji?" The voice on the other end asked. It was a male voice, one he didn't recognise.

"Yes." He replied, checking caller ID. It said the call was coming from Brenda's phone. "Who is this?"

"My name is Detective Underwood, I'm calling from central hospital." The man on the other end told him. "The owner of this phone, Brenda Hamilton? This was the last number she called."

"The hospital?" Ji asked him. "How can I help you?"

"Sir, I'm afraid to tell you that Miss Hamilton's been involved in a violent incident." He informed him. "I can't tell you any more over the phone. I need you to come to Central Police Station."

"Yes, of course." Ji told him. "I'll help however I can."

He hung up the phone, before looking to the Rangers.

"What happened?" Emily asked. They had heard enough to know that it was about Brenda.

"That was the police." He informed them. "Something's happened to Brenda. I need to go to the station..."

"Would you like us to go with you?" Jayden asked him. He just nodded his head wordlessly. Jayden and the others led him back towards the SUV that was parked nearby, Jayden with his arm around his father figure as they went.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Serrator arrived back on Xandred's Junk, finding his new master waiting for him. He knelt before him dutifully.

"You had the Rangers vulnerable, weak." He growled. "Why did you run?"

"There is no need to destroy them just yet. It is far more satisfying to see them suffer the agonising realisation of hopelessness." Serrator replied casually. "They will fall soon enough."

"They didn't seem too hopeless when they showed up with that new Zord." Octoroo scoffed. Serrator just glared at him. He had felt the sting of its attack, and knew the power it possessed. He was certain that once the Gold Ranger had mastered its power, it would be a force to be reckoned with.

"Yes, but then I have learned something of interest about that." Serrator told them. "I did not return right away. I waited in the gap to watch the battle with Papyrax. You see, sometimes information gathered is more valuable than a mere victory."

"And what have you learned?" Xandred asked him. "What powerful information do you have?"

"The Light Zord is not ancient technology. It was created recently." Serrator informed them. "Someone is able to create new weapons for the Samurai."

"That could be disastrous!" Octoroo screamed in panic. "It was so powerful...who could create such a weapon?"

"I heard the name." Serrator told them with a sick grin. "But rest assured, I know exactly what to do about it."


	4. Trip to the Hospital

Dayu was sitting on an abandoned beach, far from prying eyes. One of the benefits of being able to travel by Gap was the opportunity to find privacy no matter how far she had to travel. She could traverse the globe only just short of instantaneously.

Fury still burned within her. She had lost everything because of the accursed Nighlock. She had lost her humanity, she had lost her position with Xandred, she had lost all traces of happiness from her existence.

She had lost Dekker.

She could still remember the last time she had seen him. Her sacrifice, her actions in the arena had led to him once more gaining his freedom and walking the land once more, but at a cost far too high for either of them. The Judge had cursed him, taking his memory once more and forcing him to wander the land as a Nighlock forever. Her heart broke as she remembered the coldness of his voice, every one of his words penetrating her like a dagger of ice straight through her heart. He told her he didn't love her, that he blamed her for their plight, and he had told her to leave, never to seek him out again.

Her tears ran freely as she thought about him. Stuck once more in her Nighlock form, she would live forever barring defeat in battle. An eternity alone was something that she could not even imagine. The only reason she did not throw herself onto her own short sword that instant was because her sorrow was matched only by her desire to see the Nighlock destroyed, to see vengeance done for all she had lost. There was only one problem. She had no idea how. To move against Xandred directly would earn her no satisfaction; he would destroy her long before she could do any form of harm to him. She had felt a shift in the Netherworld, and knew that something had come that had greatly increased the power at his disposal, making her goal of standing over him, being the one to drive home the blade through his evil heart that ended his existence all the further away.

"Dayu, Dayu, Dayu." The Furry Wort started to babble as she wept. Just like her, it was an outcast. Xandred had thrown it from his ship, leaving it to its fate in the land of the living. She had taken pity on it, and taken it with her for company. "Go, go, go!"

"You see things so simply. I wish I could do the same." She sighed. "I cannot begin to think of the path to follow."

"Dekker, Dekker, Dekker." It chirped. His name still caused her excruciating pain when she heard it.

"It would do me no good." Dayu told it. "He would destroy me. He is now cursed, even without that damned sword."

"Break, break, break!" It continued. She just shrugged.

"I cannot imagine how." She told it. "The curse is now on him. Even without Urumasa he cannot remember our life together. The only way to free him is to destroy him. I cannot do that, no matter how much it pains me to see what he is now."

"Urumasa, Urumasa..." It started to chant. She just gripped it tightly, beginning to lose patience.

"Urumasa is gone! The Judge destroyed it!" She snapped. "Either that or he sent it somewhere. Either way, that sword..."

"Why, why, why?" The Furry Wort asked her. Dayu was about to really lose it when a thought occurred to her. Why would The Judge separate Dekker from Urumasa?

She recalled the battle, and could remember that it disappeared without a trace. Despite all she had seen, she knew enough about the supernatural to know that there were certain truths even the supernatural could not change. For instance, nothing could be created or destroyed, only changed from one form to another. Urumasa had disappeared with The Judge's blast, leaving nothing behind.

"He didn't destroy it." She murmured. If he had removed it, without destroying it, there had to be a purpose. His curse on Dekker was an act of spite in vengeance for his impending destruction. Why would he go to the effort of taking the sword away? It was then that she had the epiphany. "The curse is still tied to Urumasa!"

It made sense, he wanted Dekker to suffer. He wanted him to remain cursed. It was then that her new goal became obvious.

"Urumasa, Urumasa." The Furry Wort chirped out. She looked to it and finally found a reason to smile.

"The answer's been so obvious for so long...I can't believe I never realised." She gasped. "I don't need to destroy Dekker, I need to destroy Urumasa!"

With that, she stood up. She knew that destroying Urumasa was not going to be an easy task. It had withstood things no other blade could for centuries, but for one thing. It had been broken, and if it could be broken, then it could be destroyed. She could remember enough from when she carried it to know it had an evil spirit housed within, and that was what needed to be destroyed.

She looked to the Furry Wort and started to tickle it's chin with her finger.

"Thank you little friend." She told it. "Now, I have a purpose."

With that, she disappeared into a Gap, setting off on her long quest. Destroying Urumasa and the curse would be no simple task, that much she knew. For now though, she had to set herself to the task of finding it.

Over at the Shiba House, Serena held Stephen in her arms, wrapped in the blankets of her bed, a huge smile on her face. She had made promises to Ji, and she was sure that if he knew, then he would be far from happy, but in the heat of the moment, it didn't matter. She was sure it was worth it.

She looked to Stephen, who was just putting his glasses back on. The moment had been everything Mia had promised it would be. Although she had freaked out only weeks before about the thought of Emily taking that step, she had never been more certain that she had made the right choice.

"We really should...um..." Stephen stammered, still clearly a little stunned by what had happened. "The others will probably be back soon."

"Well that's romantic." She teased him, shoving him gently. "If I didn't live here, I think this is where you'd be offering me cab fare."

He just looked to her, shifting onto his elbow to look over her. She was amazingly beautiful to him. He started to stroke her hair as he looked over her.

"I really have no desire to leave this moment." He assured her. "But...you know Ji isn't going to be happy, and it is still kind of his place."

"I suppose so." Serena replied. He got up, and started to look for his discarded clothing, his hands shaking as he did so. It was so cute that she laughed a little. "Stephen?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"It was my first too." She assured him. "I love you so much."

He made his way back over, kissing her deeply.

"I love you too." He told her, holding her warmly. "Now...maybe we should sort out some dinner or something, because right now, I have NO idea what I should be doing."

"I guess that's an idea." She responded, beginning to look for her own clothes. "No doubt they'll be back soon.

Over in the Central Hospital, Ji arrived, with his Rangers in hot pursuit. He was in a complete panic having heard that Brenda had been in a violent incident. The detective wouldn't go into details over the phone, but he knew it had to be bad if they were tracking him down.

He got to a room, finding two men waiting outside. One of them was a little shorter than him, and quite slender, with soft, brown hair, and green eyes, wearing a dark blue, off-the-rack suit with a white shirt and red tie.

The other was leaning against the wall, casually smoking despite the strict anti-smoking legislations in hospitals. He was a lot taller, and looked like he was no stranger to the free-weights section of the gym given his size. His suit was black, tailored, and looked like it cost easily into the five figures, with a light blue Ben Sherman shirt underneath. He was blonde, with icy blue eyes, that looked to Ji like he was trying to size him up.

"Detective Underwood?" Ji asked. The smaller of the two men stepped forward.

"Mr. Ji?" He asked in response. "I'm Detective Underwood..."

"Where is she?" Ji asked him.

"Ms. Hamilton is in the room over there." The other detective stated, pointing to a room. "She's in a critical state."

"Can I see her?" Ji asked.

"You'll have to excuse my partner Detective Johnson." Underwood replied. "I'm afraid the doctor's examining her. She was taken to emergency surgery..."

"Surgery?" Emily screeched, pulling into Mike. That didn't sound good at all. She had been to hospital enough times to know that generally a patient was examined before they went to surgery. They only performed surgery directly after a patient arrived if their life was in imminent danger.

"What happened?" Jayden asked.

"She was on her way..."

"Some punk got the drop on her and put three bullets into her at point blank range!" Johnson interrupted, looking to Ji judgementally.

"We need to ask a few questions." Underwood interjected, giving his partner a hard glare to indicate that his attitude was not helping. "I understand this is a hard time, but we need to do inquiries."

Just then, a doctor came out of Brenda's room. Ji saw this and brushed past them.

"Are you Ji?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"I am." He replied.

"Ms. Hamilton regained consciousness a few minutes ago, she's asking for you." The doctor told him. "Only you though, she can't take too many visitors."

"Alright." Ji whispered, before making his way inside. Jayden and the others headed to the waiting area, leaving Johnson and Underwood alone.

Inside the room, Ji made his way to the side of Brenda's bed, taking a seat. She looked incredibly weak, far more fragile than he had ever seen her. Her eyes were dark, and her hair was a mess. Machines kept a track of her progress, and she had a drip administering some kind of medication. He took her hand softly.

"I came as soon as I heard." He assured her. He could see the tears running down the side of her face, and it killed him to see her this way. It was only a few hours ago that they had been sharing lunch.

"My chest..."

"The doctors are taking good care of you." He told her. Brenda just started to sob, at which he leaned over, holding her softly. He didn't know what had happened to her, or why someone had attacked her like that, but right now, all that mattered was being there for her.

Over in another part of the world, some hill walkers were coming to the top of a mountain, conquering the peak of Ben Lomond. The first one to the summit smiled and looked around.

"The view up here's amazing isn't it?" She asked.

"You know, they sell postcards in the shop down the bottom." Her husband replied as he made his way breathlessly to the top.

"Where's the fun in staring at a photo when you can see it yourself?" She asked, wrapping her arms around her husband. He kissed her, before pulling away as he saw something odd. "Rob?"

"Check that out." He stated, pointing a little way off. His wife turned around, seeing what he was pointing at. It was a red and white sword, just lying resting against a rock a little way off. They both approached it curiously, looking around for any signs of anyone else.

"I don't see anyone around." The woman stated. "Who would leave this here?"

The man reached out, taking the handle, but recoiled in agony, screaming as the handle burned his flesh painfully.

"Filthy piece of shite!" He snarled, kicking the sword a little way across the hill. He showed his hand to his wife. "The damn thing burned me!"

"Maybe we should just go." She suggested.

"You'll get no argument from me." He replied, as they both started to make their way back down the hill, leaving the mysterious sword behind.


	5. Ji's Questions

Ji came out of Brenda's room, looking completely shaken. Underwood and Johnson were still waiting along with the Rangers as he came out. Jayden came over, hugging him gently. He could see how upset Ji was about what had happened.

"She's resting for now." He told them.

"How is she?" Mike asked him.

"It's not good." He told them. "She told me that the doctors explained the attacker used low velocity, hollow point rounds."

"What does that mean?" Kevin asked.

"She is lucky to be alive. If the shots were not so close together, if they had hit more important..." His words tailed off as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "There was a lot of damage to her right lung. It was too badly damaged, they had to remove it."

"They took out her lung?" Emily asked, looking horrified by the thought. He just nodded. He was clearly still deeply upset to hear how serious her condition was. Detective Underwood came over.

"Mr. Ji, I know this is a difficult time, but you were the last person Ms. Hamilton called before she was attacked." He told him. "We're trying to piece together the events leading up to her attack. We need to speak to anyone that saw or spoke to her before she was attacked. Do you think you could come to the station and answer a few questions?"

"Yes, of course." Ji told them. "Anything you think can help."

"I'll drive the others home." Kevin told him.

"Thank you." Ji answered. With that, he turned and left with the detectives, leaving the Rangers behind. Mike held Emily as she pulled into him.

"Come on." Kevin whispered. "She's resting now. There's nothing more we can do here."

With that, they headed for the parking lot.

In another area of town, Spike had finished mowing a neighbour's lawn, and was just gathering the last of the cuttings into a bag when Vicky and Jimmy arrived by the fence. Jimmy just looked to the pile of waste bags and whistled.

"I hope you're getting paid a good rate." He commented. "It looks like you've been working on a park, not a garden."

"Mr Jenson's getting a little old." Spike told him. "It's getting to be a bit too much for him, so I helped out."

"So...you're not getting much?" He asked. Spike just shrugged.

"Ten bucks." He replied. "I didn't have the heart to charge him more than I charge the others."

Vicky just sulked as she heard this. Spike was working very hard in the neighbourhood to earn money to take Melanie out, money she knew that he was earning for nothing. It still angered her whenever she thought about what she had heard Melanie tell her friends. She had only gone out with Spike because she believed he had a lot of money. She didn't know that his parents and his uncle didn't give him much to keep him grounded. He finished piling up the bags of waste, before heading to the door.

"I guess it's no surprise he's knocking himself out like this." Jimmy said with a smile. "I'm sure Melanie..."

"Melanie's no good for him." Vicky snapped at her brother. "I can't believe he's doing all this for her!"

"Wow, where did that come from?" Jimmy asked her, looking to her curiously.

"Come ON! Why the hell does she keep asking him to take her to all these expensive places?" Vicky asked him. "She's using him! Isn't it obvious?"

"Uh...alright, whatever." Jimmy sniggered. She just rolled her eyes.

"She is Jimmy, I heard her myself!" She told him. "She and her friends were laughing at him. She's only going out with him because his dad's got money!"

"And you two are so tight that she just came out and told you that did she?" Jimmy asked her, looking a little unconvinced. "You know, I never noticed before, but your eyes are a nice shade of green..."

"I am NOT jealous!" She snapped, shoving him away. "I just don't like seeing him being taken for a ride."

"Well, that was convincing." He replied sarcastically. Just then, Spike came back, carrying some cash, counting it out. He smiled as he got to them.

"Well, I've almost got enough for the tickets." He told them. "Thank God Curtis' party's the next night. I so wouldn't be able to afford to take her out two nights in a row."

He noticed a little bit of an atmosphere between the two of them and frowned.

"Did I just miss something?" He asked.

"Vicky was just talking about how close she and Melanie are." Jimmy teased her. Spike just looked confused. "Apparently they're sharing like BFFs."

"Really?" Spike asked, looking a little confused, but smiling a little. "I didn't think you two were..."

"We're not. Jimmy's just being an idiot." Vicky replied, throwing her hands up in the air and storming away. Spike just looked totally baffled.

"Alright, what was that about?" He asked.

"Trust me; my sister's always been crazy." Jimmy assured him. "Come on, if we hurry, we can catch the highlights of the game."

The Rangers arrived back at the Shiba House, finding Serena and Stephen waiting for them. They had started on dinner, but it was just sitting, waiting on them getting cold. Serena looked to them as they came in.

"What kept you? We've been waiting ages!" She told them. "Nobody called!"

She just watched as Mia and Emily went to the Living Room and took a seat on the couch. Kevin threw the car keys into the bowl by the door as he hung up his jacked. She could sense a real atmosphere from them, and she knew that something serious had happened.

"What's wrong?" She asked them, looking around and seeing a noticeable absence. "Where's Ji?"

"Ji's at the police station." Jayden told her. "Brenda was attacked today. Someone shot her."

"What?" Serena gasped, hearing this. She could hardly believe it. They all knew Brenda; she was a kind, genuine and warm person. She couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her, much less try and kill her. "Is she alright?"

"Sure." Mike muttered. "If she doesn't mind being one lung short of a full set for the rest of her life."

"Mike!" Kevin reprimanded him, flashing a glance at Emily and Mia. Both of them seemed to have taken it quite badly. Emily especially was deeply upset about the thought of Brenda being hurt so badly.

"The damage to her lung was so bad, they had to remove it." Jayden confirmed.

"People can live with one lung." Stephen said reassuringly. "She'll have to be careful not to strain herself too hard, but people do have normal lives with only one lung."

Serena just sat on a stool by the counter wordlessly as the information sunk in. The Rangers faced deadly battles on a daily basis, and risked their lives all the time, but this was something none of them were prepared for. This wasn't the work of a Nighlock; it wasn't anything to do with the Rangers at all. Given all that they faced, sometimes it was difficult for them to remember that not all the bad things that happened in the world were Master Xandred's fault.

"I'll...I'll just reheat this." Stephen finally said, seeing that no one was in a mood to say much.

"Thanks." Jayden replied sadly, joining the others in the main room.

Over at the police station, Ji was waiting in a room for the detectives to return. It was pretty non-descript, there was only a table, two chairs and a mirror in the room. Ji had seen more than enough TV to know that the mirror was likely a one-way mirror, connected to an observation room. As Underwood and Johnson came into the room, Underwood sat down, while his partner stood in the corner.

"I just need to record this for our records." Detective Underwood told him. "I understand that this isn't easy, but we need to talk to you while today's events are fresh in your mind."

"Of course." Ji answered. "Anything I can do to help."

"We got your number from Ms. Hamilton's phone as the last number dialled." Underwood told him. "What's the nature of your relationship?"

"We are dating." He informed them. "We've been together for a few weeks now."

Johnson shifted a little as he heard this. Underwood had to give him a little look before continuing.

"There is something troubling about the attack Mr. Ji; we found Ms. Hamilton's valuables on her person." He informed Ji. "She had nearly three hundred dollars on her person. She was found right next to her car, and her car keys were found on her."

"I don't understand." Ji commented.

"Nothing was taken from her. That means robbery wasn't the motive." Johnson stated abruptly.

"She also seemed to lack defensive wounds." Underwood continued. "It looks like the attack was very sudden and..."

"Whoever did this didn't threaten her, they just shot her!" Johnson stated. "That means whoever did it wasn't interested in warning her, they wanted to hurt her!"

Ji suddenly realised there was a less than subtle undertone to Johnson's attitude.

"You think...you think I had something to do with this?" Ji asked them incredulously.

"We're not jumping to any conclusions Mr. Ji; we just need to establish the facts." Underwood assured him, seeming less than pleased with his partner. He looked to Ji. "It does seem like the intent behind the attack was to cause harm, not any other motive. Can you think of anyone that might want to harm her?"

"She works for the health department. She sometimes has to shut down restaurants." Ji told them. "I imagine that some of the people she deals with are far from happy with her..."

"Want to know a fun little fact?" Johnson asked him. "About 90 percent of people are attacked by someone they know. More often than not, it's the partner."

"Johnson!" Underwood reprimanded him.

"There's always a bullshit reason to shoot your girlfriend." Johnson continued. "You're older than her aren't you?"

"There is an age difference, yes." Ji conceded, starting to become angry with the detective. "I wasn't aware that was a police matter."

"She's pretty hot isn't she?" Johnson asked. "I'll bet she gets lots of attention from younger guys."

"I'm sorry?" Ji asked.

"I'll bet that has to be really frustrating doesn't it?" He asked. "You're lucky enough to find someone like her, and all the younger, better looking guys are staring at her? I bet anyone would understand you feeling a little insecure about that."

"I trust her completely." Ji told him flatly.

"Johnson!" Underwood put down again, a little more forcefully. He looked to Ji regretfully.

"I'm afraid that right now we have to follow all possible lines of inquiry." Underwood told him. "Do you own a gun?"

"No. I have never owned a gun." Ji informed him. "I have lived long enough to see the harm they can do. I would never even have one in my home."

"Would you mind if we searched your premises?" Johnson asked him. "If you've got nothing to hide..."

"That's enough Johnson!" Underwood stated. Ji just glared at the man angrily.

"You are free to search my home." Ji told him. "You will not find a gun anywhere in my home."

"I'm sorry Mr. Ji, like I said; we have to follow all potential leads." Underwood reiterated. "Has Ms. Hamilton been fighting with anyone lately? Any arguments...?"

"This afternoon I went to meet her at her office." Ji informed them. "There was a man there arguing with her. She had reported his restaurant and forced him to close pending a review. He seemed very angry."

"Do you know who he was?" Underwood asked him.

"She called him Mr. Costaz." Ji told him. "That's all I remember."

"We can get his details from her office." Underwood replied. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"I am afraid not." Ji told him, his eyes straying to Johnson, who still eyed him up judgementally. He was glad that it seemed Underwood was intent to investigate further, by the look of him, Johnson seemed more than happy to pin the attack on Ji for a quick end to the case. "I'm sorry."

"We may need to get in touch." Underwood told him. "Leave your contact details with the desk, but other than that, thank you for your help."

As Ji got up, Underwood got out his chair and opened the door for him. He handed Ji his card.

"Call us if you remember anything else." He told him. "Mr. Ji, I want you to know, we're taking this very seriously. Ms. Hamilton was shot three times at close range with hollow point rounds. We're treating this as attempted murder."

"I will call if I think of anything." He replied.

"One more thing." Johnson stated, lighting up a cigarette. "Don't leave town."

Ji just nodded, before leaving. Johnson clearly liked the idea of Ji being the culprit. In a lot of ways, it would be a nice, convenient end to the case. As he left, Underwood turned to his partner.

"Johnson, what the hell was that?" Underwood asked him.

"Come on, you know as well as I do that it's usually the boyfriend!" He snapped.

"Well excuse me if I actually plan on seeing the evidence before I try to convict someone." Underwood replied, before storming away. "And put out that damn cigarette! This is still a government building!"

Johnson just saluted him behind his back as he left sarcastically, before throwing the cigarette down and crushing it out with his shoe.

The following day, Vicky, Mal and Jimmy were waiting for Spike when he arrived with a few of the popular kids. Vicky watched as Spike walked with Melanie, talking to her about their plans for the weekend. She laughed and smiled as he walked with her, his arm around her shoulders as they arrived.

"Curtis' house parties are always legendary." She told him. "It'll be so much fun!"

Spike was smiling brightly as he heard her say this. Not only because she was willing to go with him, but also because it would mean a date that he didn't have to work like a dog to be able to afford. She felt sick to her stomach knowing that he was doing everything for Melanie, who seemed to either not notice, or not care how much he was doing just to try and make her happy by giving her the expensive things she wanted. Melanie leaned in, kissing Spike's cheek, before smiling at him.

"So, we're on for tonight?" She asked. Spike nodded, producing the tickets.

"Box seats." He told her. "I can't wait."

As he left, Vicky hung back a little bit, waiting for him to go. She couldn't imagine how she would tell Spike what she knew and have him believe her, but she couldn't stand by and watch Melanie string him along.

"Vicky, it's time for class." Mal told her.

"I'll not be long." She told them as she started to make her way over to where Melanie was fixing her hair in a mirror on the inside of her locker. Mal just shook his head.

"What's that about?" He asked as he saw her heading straight for Melanie. Jimmy just sighed.

"She's got her pants in a knot about Melanie and Spike." He commented. "Come on; let's just go before she ends up making a scene."

As the other kids left, Vicky didn't notice. All she could focus on was Melanie, and the anger bubbling up in her gut, threatening to explode. She arrived and prodded her shoulder, rousing Melanie's attention.

"Oh...it's you." Melanie stated, rolling her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I know." Vicky stated. Melanie just shrugged.

"You know what?" She asked innocently.

"I heard you and your friends talking about Spike!" Vicky snapped at her.

"I really don't know..."

"I heard every word of it! I know you're only interested in his money!" Vicky interrupted her angrily. Melanie just looked around, seeing that no one was around. Perfect, there were no witnesses. She just looked to Vicky and smirked.

"You know it's not nice to listen into other people's private conversations." She remarked. "Maybe your mom should have taught you some manners."

"Maybe your mom should have taught you how not to be a two faced bitch!" Vicky yelled. "Spike doesn't deserve this! He's a nice guy, and you're just taking him for everything he has..."

"And if you thought for one minute he would believe you, we wouldn't be having this conversation would we?" Melanie asked her. Vicky paused as she heard her say this. Unfortunately that was true. She knew Spike wouldn't want to believe her if she told him that Melanie was using him.

"If you hurt him..."

"You'll do what exactly?" She asked in response. Vicky couldn't answer. She wanted to make Melanie leave him alone, but there was nothing she could do. Melanie was one of the most popular girls in school. If she did anything, the others would make her life a living hell. "That's just what I thought."

She got out her books and looked to Vicky, who was standing, completely defeated. She let out a little chuckle.

"Of course, we both know why you're really upset don't we?" She asked. "You're just sore that he's looking at me and he doesn't even notice you."

She started to pace around Vicky, looking her up and down judgementally.

"Of course, that's hardly a surprise is it?" Melanie asked, before gesturing to herself. "After all, why would he want some wire-haired, metal-mouthed loser when he has this?"

Vicky was noticeably trembling by now. Melanie had seen right through her, and hit a nerve. Melanie just leaned in.

"Face it, you're just a loser. You always have been, and you always will be." She stated coldly. "When it comes down to you and me? You just can't compete."

As Melanie headed to class, Vicky just wiped away a tear, sniffing as she tried to straighten herself out for her first class. Spike had no idea what Melanie was really like, and there was nothing she could do about it.


	6. Mysteries

The mood in the Shiba House was not at all as it normally was. While they always had problems, aches and pains, the threat of peril, weariness caused by constant battle and training, the one thing that had always been prevalent in the house was fun. They generally always found a way to laugh, to unwind and stop things from getting too rough. Mike, Emily and Antonio were generally responsible for most of the laughs, but they usually always found ways to make the days not seem so bad. It was just as vital an activity as any amount of training, as it stopped them sliding into hopelessness. Training for the spirit Ji had once called it, making sure that their spirit remained strong by reminding them that there were things worth fighting for. That was not the mood today.

Unusually for the time following morning training, the house was pretty much silent as they ate breakfast. Everyone knew that Ji was worried about Brenda. It hadn't even been two days since someone had gunned her down in broad daylight, almost killing her. They all knew her and liked her. They couldn't imagine why anyone would want to hurt her, much less try and kill her. No one knew what to say, making breakfast something of a quiet, sombre affair. There were no jokes, no discussions of plans, everyone just ate. Ji finally finished his oatmeal, and put the bowl down.

"There is something you must know." He announced, shattering the silence. He had no desire to discuss the matter, but he knew of the difficult lives they led, and he knew they had to be made aware of anything that could be a risk. "As you know, I had to make a statement to the police. They are investigating the attack."

"Good." Kevin snorted. "I hope they find the son of a bitch and..."

"Something came up in the interview." He told them. "They may be investigating me."

"You?" Mia asked, looking bemused. "Why?"

"They have very few leads, and so they have to follow all lines of inquiry." Ji told them. "And since the majority of such crimes..."

"Whoa, back up here." Mike interrupted him. "Are you saying that they think YOU shot her?"

"It is a possibility they have not ruled out." Ji told them.

"But...but you would never have done it!" Emily shrieked. "You HATE guns! You don't even like Mike using the light gun for his games consoles!"

"Not to mention you were with us when she was shot." Antonio chipped in. "You couldn't have done it!"

"Unfortunately we can't exactly use that as an alibi can we?" Mike asked him. "Hey Mr Policeman, it couldn't have been Ji, because at the time he was on the other side of town fighting the newest Nighlock. Oh, by the way, we're all Power Rangers!"

"Mike!" Mia reprimanded him. Ji just held up a hand.

"He is right." Ji told her. "That is exactly the problem. I just wanted to warn you all, that as the investigation continues, it is entirely possible people may come here to speak with all of us, and perhaps even to search the house."

"Well...that could be awkward." Jayden remarked.

"That is why I wanted to alert you all to the possibility." Ji told them. "If any officers speak to you, I want you to be ready."

"So what's the story?" Mike asked. "What do you want us to say?"

"I will never ask you to lie for me. Lies have a habit of being exposed." He responded them. "If you are asked questions, I ask that you answer honestly, and directly, but remember your responsibilities and say as little as possible that may expose us."

"Huh?" Mike grunted. "Want to run that by me again?"

"Saying nothing isn't a lie." Jayden put down flatly. "Answer honestly, but with as little detail as possible. I doubt anyone's going to directly ask 'are you a Ranger?' do you?"

"You said they might search the house." Kevin remembered.

"Yes." Ji told them. "For a while, we will have to be careful about what we leave lying around, but again, do not worry. Just be mindful of what can be found and take care with it."

"I guess it would be hard to explain a couple of Zords flying around the place." Mike sighed, looking to the Bear Zord in his hand. "Sorry buddy, no playtime for the foreseeable future."

The green Zord nipped at his fingers with its jaws, showing its displeasure. The rest of the Rangers felt a deep connection to their Zords, and knew that none of them were happy with this. They all enjoyed the times their Rangers would let them play and unwind. It was their reward for their part in the Ranger battles. Knowing that they would be spending their time between encounters inert for the foreseeable future was something they understood, their loyalty to their masters being complete, but they were not happy about it. After nipping Mike a couple of times to express its annoyance, the Bear Zord folded up, returning to its inert state.

"So, they actually told you they thought you did it?" Emily asked. Ji just nodded wordlessly. "That's horrible. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." Ji said, smiling at his youngest Ranger. "Just remember, be mindful of what you say and do, and answer honestly. We can only hope that the truth will out."

"I hope so Ji." Jayden replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I really do."

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Detective Underwood arrived at the Department of Health over at City Hall. He was still not happy with his partner Johnson, who had opted to remain outside to smoke. They were starting the investigation at square one. The parking complex did not have video cameras that covered the area where Brenda was attacked, so they had to start right from the beginning, namely that all they knew for sure was that she had been shot three times with hollow point rounds at close range. While the boyfriend angle had occurred to him, Johnson's insistence on playing that card so early meant that now Ji, presuming it HAD been him, now had time to prepare his story and think of ways to misdirect them.

He arrived at the reception desk on that floor, and opened his wallet, showing his badge to the receptionist.

"I'm Detective Underwood. I'm investigating the attack on Brenda Hamilton." He explained.

"Yes, of course, awful business." She replied nervously. She was a tiny, nondescript woman, who looked like she was in her forties. Underwood couldn't tell exactly because she was sitting down, but he surmised from what he could see that she barely broke the five-foot mark, and if she weighed anything close to 100 pounds, he would have been incredibly surprised. She had long, bony hands and very pale flesh. Her flaming red hair was tied into a tight bun at the back of her head. She was wearing a floral pattern dress, and a large, crucifix necklace, and a matching gold watch on her right wrist. "Brenda's such a lovely person; I can't believe anyone would do something so horrible to her. How can I help you?"

"I need to speak with someone regarding anyone that may have had any form of grudge with Ms. Hamilton." He told her. "Can I speak with the person in charge?"

"Superintendent Ramsay is the head of this division." She told him, pointing to a door about forty feet away. "He has a couple of appointments, but I think he's free right now. I'll just buzz him and let him know you're coming."

"Thank you." Underwood replied. "Before I go, how well would you say you know Brenda?"

"As well as anyone I suppose." She replied, shifting a little in her seat. "She's kind of private. She pretty much keeps to herself. Just does her shift and goes home."

"So...you can't think of anyone she's fought with recently?" Underwood asked her as she pressed the button on the intercom.

"We're the Department of Health." She told him. "Someone's screaming at us pretty much every day. Mr Ramsay, there's a detective here to talk to you about Brenda's attack."

"Send him through." The voice replied. She just gestured again to the door. Underwood smiled in response.

"Thank you again." He replied. "Miss...?"

"Stewart." She replied. "Erica Stewart."

"Thank you for your help." He told her, before heading to Ramsay's office. He went inside, closing the door behind him.

"I'm Detective Underwood." He introduced himself, showing his badge to the man there. "Mr. Ramsay?"

"Frasier Ramsay." The man replied, shaking his hand, gesturing to a seat opposite him. "I just want you to know that I'll help in any way I can."

"I appreciate that." Underwood replied, taking a seat and pulling out his notebook.

Ramsay was a large man, a clear head taller than Underwood, but heavy with it. By the looks of him, he looked like he weighed nearly three hundred pounds, and he doubted very much that he had a gym membership. He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt straight off the rack of a supermarket, and a pair of grey pants that looked like they would only fit for another couple of meals, with a brown leather belt that strained to hold in his girth. He was steadily balding, and what little hair he did have was grey and wiry.

"So, how can I help you?" Ramsay asked him.

"Firstly, I have to ask, what kind of relationship do you have with Brenda?" He asked. "You're her boss?"

"I guess that's true." He chuckled, looking in a filing cabinet and fetching out a report. "Brenda's one of our best inspectors. I have very little work to do supervising her."

Underwood checked the file he was given. It was indeed a glowing reference, several reviews that all listed her as exceptional, even a few awards and merit certificates. He closed the file and slid it back.

"Could you have someone forward that to the precinct?" Underwood asked him. Ramsay just nodded.

"Of course, anything to help." He answered. "Can you think of anyone she was fighting with? Anyone that might hold a grudge?"

Ramsay picked up a restaurant guide and tossed it down on the table.

"There you go, there's a list of suspects." He stated. Underwood didn't look amused at all, if anything he just looked confused. "We're health inspectors. We close restaurants for a living. Even the ones we don't close are far from happy to see us, it's disruptive to business."

He shifted a little in his seat and looked to him a little more seriously.

"You're a police officer. You know that people don't really like it when authorities start poking around and disrupting things." He told him. "IRS, Police, Feds, us...we're in a profession that naturally ends up pissing people off."

"So you're saying she has received threats before?" Underwood asked her. "Your receptionist gave me the impression she was a nice person."

"Brenda is a nice person, don't misunderstand me on that." Ramsay replied. "But seriously, we have people yelling at us all the time. It's part of the job! Brenda knows that better than anyone."

"So people have threatened her before?" He asked. Ramsay didn't laugh, but he did seem to look like he wanted to had the incident not been so serious. His expression was one of complete disbelief.

"I was threatened with violence every day as an inspector, several times." Ramsay told him. "I received my first death threat on my first week. Making enemies...it's a sad fact, but it is part of the job. We just tend to ignore it."

"So you're saying if anyone did threaten her...?"

"I doubt Brenda would have taken it seriously." Ramsay interrupted him. "If we took the things people said to us to heart, I doubt anyone would last a week in this job. Hell, she had Mr. Costaz screaming at her for a good thirty minutes the day she was attacked! She just went to lunch afterwards!"

"Mr Costaz?" He asked. This was the second time Underwood had heard this name in connection with the case. Ramsay picked up the restaurant guide and flicked through it to the page showing Costaz's restaurant, putting it back down.

"Brenda reported him for serious violations and shut him down." Ramsay explained. "Needless to say he was far from happy."

Underwood copied down the address, before putting away his notebook. He then paused.

"Mr. Ramsay, I just have to ask. What is your relationship to Brenda?" He asked. "Are you friends? Colleagues?"

"I'd say colleagues." Ramsay replied with a shrug. "She doesn't really hang out with anyone here. She just keeps to herself."

"Thank you." Underwood replied. "Could I have your number? Just in case I need to speak to you again?"

"Of course." He replied, searching around the papers on his desk, finding a business card and handing it to Underwood. "Here. My cell number is on there. If it helps you catch the guy, feel free to call any time."

A little while later, Underwood arrived outside, finding Johnson crushing out his third cigarette. He just looked to Underwood and snorted.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

"I was working for a living." Underwood replied sarcastically as he went to the passenger side of the blazing red Corvette that Johnson insisted on driving on duty. Johnson got in and started it up.

"So, where are we going now?" He asked. Underwood showed him the notebook, showing him the address of Costaz's restaurant. Johnson just sighed and drove away.

Meanwhile, far from the city, almost on the opposite side of the world, the still of the evening was interrupted as a helicopter flew over the hill tops. A search light was washing over the landscape, searching for something. Eventually, at the tallest peak in the area, the light hit something of interest.

"Wait, hover here!" One of the men stated in a thick Scottish accent. The pilot stopped as he was commanded. His ranking officer was leaning out the side, looking down. "The light, shine it a ten feet back."

As the search light was repositioned as he commanded, the man smiled. He had found what he was looking for.

"Alright, this is the place!" He told them. "Take her down!"

As the helicopter touched down, he stepped out, keeping his head dipped to avoid the blades, running out. He arrived, and smiled to see a red and white Nodachi, sitting in its scabbard.

He had heard the rumours. Not many people walked Ben Lomond, it was a tough climb, but a few had said they had seen the oddest thing, a sword that was just lying there, with no sign of its owner. He had just thought it odd, but as the rumours kept coming, he felt he had to check it out.

He approached the sword, and as he did, he felt something within him, an instinct to run screaming as far and as fast as he could. Despite his years of service to the government, he couldn't deny that there was something supernatural at work, urging him to leave well enough alone.

"Sir?" One of his companions asked.

"It seems the rumours are true." He gasped.

"Sir...it's a sword." His companion replied, seemingly bemused. "It's odd but..."

His words were cut off as his commanding officer gripped the hilt of the sword, only to recoil with a yell of pain. He came over, finding that the officer's flesh was badly burned. Hi flesh still smelled of burning, but the officer just smiled.

"That's more than just odd don't you think?" He asked, looking back towards Urumasa. "The rumours are true!"

"Sir, your hand..."

"I'll get treated." He responded, waving others out the helicopter. "Alright, don't under any circumstances touch the handle. I want everyone wearing protection, and I want this thing loaded on the chopper."

"Sir..."

"Not another word Ensign." He barked. "This thing is something I sure as hell haven't seen before, and I'm not leaving it here for anyone to find."

He looked around, before grabbing the younger man.

"The scientists can figure out what the hell this thing is." He told him. "Get it back to Faslane, that's an order."

His men grouped around it, picking up Urumasa with long tongs, gripped in thick, protective gloves like it was radioactive and carried it back to the helicopter. The officer had no idea what it was, but he was sure that his superiors would be very happy to investigate the mysterious blade.


	7. The Kidnapping

Antonio, Ji and Stephen were sitting around a table, concentrating on the task at hand. While Antonio was focussing his Symbol Power into the Light Zord, the others were keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

"I'm really worried about Ji." Jayden finally commented. "I mean, this thing with Brenda..."

"I'm not deaf Jayden!" Ji called over, giving him a dark glare. "I may be old, but my hearing works just fine. If you MUST talk about me behind my back, please find somewhere else to do so."

He gestured the others to follow him outside, and he stopped with a heavy sigh as they arrived.

"I'm really worried about him." Jayden reiterated. "Brenda...he really cares about her..."

Just then, he saw Ji leaving the Shiba House with intent, Stephen and Antonio not far behind him.

"We are going to get more privacy." Ji stated as they left. Jayden just nodded as they left, exchanging a little glance with Antonio as he went.

"He'll be fine." Mia assured him. Jayden just shook his head.

"I'm not so sure." He replied. "Come on guys, if we have nothing better to do, maybe we should get back to training."

Underwood and Johnson got to the exterior of a restaurant, finding the place in darkness. Mr. Costaz's place was currently under review, and was not allowed to open its doors to customers. It was also as a result of Brenda Hamilton, making him a real suspect.

Underwood went inside, finding Costaz hovering the carpet. He had been to this restaurant before, and by the looks of things, it was cleaner than he could ever remember it being. He coughed, deliberately loudly to attract his attention, alerting Costaz to his presence. He went to the bar as he saw Costaz switching off the hoover.

"What the f..."

"I'm Detective Underwood, my partner is Detective Johnson." Underwood introduced himself, flashing his badge. "I wanted to ask some questions Mr. Costaz."

"Fine, whatever." He snorted as he went behind the bar. "Can I get you anything?"

It was barely midday, so Underwood shook his head. Costaz however was pouring himself a Scotch that looked well beyond a normal measure and downed it in one swig. "Well, you wanted to ask questions...go on!"

"Mr. Costaz, I understand you recently came into conflict with Ms. Hamilton..."

"She cost me thousands!" He barked. "The Globetrotters are playing across the street this week. Do you have any idea how much I'd earn if I was allowed to open?"

"So, it would be fair to say you were not on friendly terms with Miss Hamilton." Underwood replied. Costaz just shook his head.

"You are not pinning this shit on me!" Mr. Costaz put down flatly.

"Mr Costaz, we have witnesses..."

"She shut down my restaurant, of COURSE I'm not exactly weeping into my cereal that someone shot her!" He replied. "But I didn't do it!"

"You have to admit, it looks bad." Underwood replied. "If you can come up with an alibi; that would be for the best."

"I was under the impression that our legal system operated on the premise of innocent until PROVEN guilty." He replied, pulling out a cigarette. Underwood gave him a dark look, at which he just shook his head and put it away.

"I have heard that you were seen..."

"I was in her office earlier that day!" Costaz stated. "That much is no secret, half the bloody building had to have heard!"

"Mr Costaz..."

"I don't like her! In fact, if you asked me at this exact moment, I'd probably go as far as saying I hate her! She's probably just cost me my business!"

"But...?"

"I didn't shoot her!" He replied sharply. "Now, if you are able to prove I did, feel free to charge me. Other than that, I have to try and put my business back together."

"So, you don't own a..."

"Nickel Plated Harballer model 1911." He sighed. "I did, but I don't anymore."

"May I ask...?"

"It was my grandfather's." He snapped. "I only kept it while he was living with us. The day he died, I got rid of it!"

"Can someone confirm this?" Underwood asked him. Costaz just shook his head.

"I was alone when I tossed it." He replied. "But that doesn't mean..."

"That's all for now." Underwood told him, putting away hi notebook. "I'd suggest you don't leave town."

With that, he stepped outside, Johnson a little way behind him.

"I think..."

"It's a line of enquiry." Underwood told him. "Check the local gun stores and find out if anyone's been buying hollow points recently."

"I doubt..."

"If he was dumb enough to put them on his credit card, then that's amazingly lucky for us!" Underwood snapped. "Other than that, we just have to hope on a little luck."

Serrator was on the banks of the Sanzu river, meditating when Octoroo waddled along. He didn't even bother opening his eyes as the squid-faced lackey arrived.

"What do you want?" He asked dismissively.

"I want to know what you plan to do!" He stated. Serrator just smirked. "You said you would..."

"I know what I promised." He replied. "I have a plan in mind."

"Well, results appear to be in short supply!" Octoroo snapped. Serrator snapped to his feet and spun around, levelling his blade at Octoroo's throat. He stopped just short of decapitating him, but made the point that he easily could have. He put the blade away and started to walk away.

"Watch and learn." He drawled casually as he disappeared into a gap.

Ji, Stephen and Antonio were all sitting around the Light Zord, waiting on results as Antonio beamed power into it. As the beam broke, and Antonio slumped away, Ji just shook his head.

"Perhaps we need to take a break." He suggested.

Stephen walked away, noting the tense nature of the scene. Antonio just put away his morpher as he looked to Ji. He didn't know how to begin, or what to say. He searched every inch of his mind, before he looked to him again.

"Ji, everything's cool between us right?" He asked. Ji just shrugged.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He grunted. Antonio just came across, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Things haven't been right around the house for a long time." Antonio stated. "And while you never did like the idea of me joining the team..."

Ji held up a hand, bidding Antonio to remain silent. Antonio was about to object when he heard it too. Someone was approaching, someone who sounded like they were taking great efforts not to be heard, but had neither the skill nor even the dexterity to accomplish the feat.

Pulling out their Samuraizers, they turned to confront the stranger, only to find a Nighlock approaching them, holding Stephen by the throat. Antonio had just managed to press the first button of the combination, when the Nighlock tightened his grip, noticeably causing him to turn red. Ji held up a hand in warning.

"Your morphers." The Nighlock ordered them. Antonio glared at him.

"I can take him." Antonio stated.

"It would take too long." Ji told him. "Even you could not morph and move quickly enough to take him before Stephen lay dead upon the ground."

Antonio considered his options, and looked to Stephen, who by now appeared to be unconscious. It would not be much longer until his life faded altogether. Reluctantly, Antonio threw his Morpher at the Nighlock's feet. Ji did the same. The Nighlock then summoned some Moogers, who proceeded to tie them both up as he released Stephen from his grasp.

"A wise decision." The Nighlock told them. "Serrator requests the pleasure of your company."

Meanwhile, in the hospital, Brenda was lying on her bed, completely exhausted. Between medication and the toll taken on her body by the attack and subsequent surgery, she was incredibly weak, and regularly spent much of her time asleep.

She lay on the bed, looking around wearily, when she saw a shadow standing over her. She couldn't quite tell if it was one of the many doctors, or even if it was Ji. The latter option was by far the most appealing. She strained to see, only to realise to her horror that it was neither. What stood over her wasn't even human. A hand gripped her wrist as she reached for the alarm button, and another was clamped over her face, preventing her from screaming.

Back at the Shiba House, Jayden was working through some exercises with the remaining Rangers. Since they had gained access to the Light Zord, he had started to get a feeling that something much more powerful was coming, something that would test them all greatly. On this day, he was focussing on trying to come up with creative ways to combine and use their symbol powers.

He and Kevin both set their power disks spinning, before casting out their power. Kevin created a thick mist of water, while Jayden used his flame to super-heat it, forming it into a dense cloud of steam that was thick enough to stop people seeing, and also heat so intense that it was impenetrable. As the cloud finally dissipated, Mike smiled.

"Now, that could come in useful!" He commented.

"It would definitely be great for cutting off an escape route." Kevin stated.

"Not to mention it'd be great if we ever come up against a clam Nighlock." Mia chuckled.

"Aw man, now you've got me thinking about steamed clams!" Mike grumbled. "Now I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry." Emily teased him. "Alright Mia, let's show Jayden what we came up with."

They started their power disks spinning, at which Emily started casting up sand. Mia added her wind power, creating a sandstorm which whipped through the yard. Jayden smiled as he saw this.

"Wow, nicely done." He said, looking kind of impressed. "Alright guys, let's get all this cleared up and see about finding the others for lunch."

Just then, Serena came out the Shiba House, looking a little concerned. She approached the others, carrying the telephone.

"Hey Serena. We were just going to find the others and head for lunch." Mia told her.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked her.

"That was the Apple store." Serena told them. "Stephen hasn't shown up for his shift."

"Really?" Jayden asked.

"He hasn't called or anything!" Serena told them. "That's not like him."

"Alright, now I have a bad feeling." Jayden commented, flipping out his Samuraizer. He dialled Antonio, only to find that it just rang out. He tried Mentor Ji, only to find the same thing.

"Alright, that DEFINITELY isn't good." Kevin stated. "Antonio wouldn't forget his morpher, not after the last time. Ji would always answer."

"Come on guys." Jayden instructed them, heading for the main room. He went to the computer and called up the city map, looking for their energy signatures. If their friends were missing, they needed to find them and fast.

Elsewhere in town, Ji, Antonio and Stephen had been taken to a temple, where their Nighlock captor was keeping them bound, obviously waiting for the other Rangers to try and rescue them. Ji could only guess at what kind of trap he had set up for them.

"So, who are you working for? Serrator or Xandred?" Ji asked him. The Nighlock just snorted in disgust.

"That shows how much you know." He remarked. "Serrator has pledged himself to Xandred."

"Great, that's all we need." Antonio muttered. "It was bad enough to think that there might be two sets of Nighlock to worry about. Now they're teaming up?"

"Ah. I see you managed to gather our guests." Serrator said in a casual drawl as he arrived. He was carrying a large bundle of blankets over his shoulder, but from the shape, J could tell that someone was inside. His blood turned cold as a horrible thought occurred to him.

"No..."

His thoughts were confirmed as Serrator laid down the bundle next to him, and unravelled it. Ji pulled her up into his arms, cradling her softly.

"You already have us." Ji rushed out. "You don't need her."

"Of course I don't need her." Serrator replied. "Of course, she is such a delightful woman..."

"She's seriously ill!" Antonio protested. "Can't you see how weak she is? She needs to be in a hospital!"

"Exactly." Serrator said with a sick little smile. "Perhaps her condition will speed up their search."

Ji could feel the weakness in her. She was a little cold to the touch, and he could feel her breathing was laboured. Without the machines at the hospital, her body was struggling to keep going. It had not been long since her lung had been removed, and her body was still not used to managing with only one. She was nowhere near ready to be released from the hospital.

"You should be careful what you wish for." Ji warned him. "The Rangers are not to be underestimated."

"Neither am I." Serrator replied. "By the end of this night, the war will be changed forever."

"You really think a trap is going to work?" Antonio asked him. "What's the big surprise? An ambush? Bomb?"

"Please, how long do you think I've been doing things like this?" Serrator asked him. "The last thing one does is reveal the plan until the enemy are defeated."

With that, he left the room, leaving the hostages under the care of his Nighlock. Ji just held Brenda slightly elevated across his knees, doing what he could to ease her breathing.

"Antonio, Stephen, give me your jackets." Ji told them, pulling off his jacket to cover her. They did as they were told; allowing him to do what he could to ease her discomfort. "Stay with me Brenda. I'll get you back to the hospital, I promise."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, the Rangers were tracking the signals of the others, finding themselves confronted by a tunnel. Jayden started his power disk spinning, igniting the blade of his Spin Sword, lighting the way.

The Rangers all followed him into the tunnel, where they found no sign of their friends. Instead, sitting on a rock were the two morphers and the Light Zord. Clearly the Nighlock had left them here to lead the Rangers off the scent. Mike picked up the Light Zord.

"Antonio showed me how to use it." He told them. "It might come in handy."

"Take the morphers too." Jayden instructed them. "Once we free the others, I'm sure they'll be looking for a little payback."

"Wait." Mia stated as she saw something underneath the Light Zord. It was a note, written in Japanese. She started to read it. "We have four of your friends at the temple. Come before Midnight, and only one need die. Any longer, the others will too."

"Four?" Emily shrieked. She pulled out her Samuraizer and called home, before breathing a sigh of relief as Serena answered. Unfortunately as she looked to the others, she came to the same conclusion. "If it's not Serena..."

"Brenda!" Mia gasped. "She's nowhere near strong enough to be out of hospital!"

"Guys, it's ten O'clock." Kevin reminded them. "That doesn't leave us long."

As they were about to go though, Mike noticed something odd about the Light Zord. It was something in the disk slot on the underneath. As the others left, he fished it out, seeing a brand new disk that he had never seen before. It was deep crimson, and had dark symbols on it. He could feel an incredible power emanating from it. He didn't know how, but he just knew that this was something important that Antonio had been working on. He had obviously slipped it into the Light Zord just before they were taken.

Stashing the disk back into the Light Zord, Mike sprinted after the others. If he knew the Gold Ranger like he thought he did, he was sure that this could be the thing needed to tip the balance in their favour.

Over at the precinct, Underwood was just about to head home when his phone rang. He picked it up, breathing a weary groan.

"This better be good." He stated.

"Detective Underwood, this Dr. Halford of the ballistics department." The voice on the other end told him. "I have the information you wanted."

"Alright, go ahead." Underwood replied.

"The rounds fired in the Brenda Hamilton came from a model 1911 Harballer." Dr. Halford informed him, leafing through the report. "I'm e-mailing it to you as we speak."

"That's very interesting information." Underwood replied, taking a note. The Hardballer was not really a very popular model any longer. He wasn't holding much hope that the attacker would use a distinctive weapon, especially not one the same make and model that he had heard his chief suspect had once owned. "What about the sale of rounds?"

"A box of hollow point rounds for a Hardballer were purchased from Jessop's Firearms and Sporting Goods on Alpine."

"Please tell me what I want to hear." He stated.

"It was a cash transaction." Dr. Halford replied dejectedly. Underwood just shook his head. He imagined he couldn't really expect a suspect to just hand him the case on a silver platter.

"Alright, thanks." He answered, checking his watch. "The store will be closed by now. I'll check it out in the morning."

With that, he hung up the phone and gathered his coat and left.


	8. A Promise Fulfilled

Jayden and the other Rangers pulled up their SUV a mile from the temple. Kevin pulled on the parking brake and turned to the others.

"Alright, we're here." He announced. They had all agreed that simply charging through the gardens surrounding the temple and into it would only serve to put the hostages in danger. If they drove the vehicle up to the front door, all their friends could be dead before they got in the door...presuming they weren't already. It was an eventuality they didn't want to think about, but a reality they faced. Jayden reached the dashboard, and opened up a section of it, revealing a computer screen. It was an upgrade that Stephen and Antonio had worked on.

"Alright Serena, what have you got for us?" Jayden asked.

"It wasn't easy, but I managed to find Stephen's database." She told them. "Here' a complete tactical map of the park, the link to the internal plan of the temple is also available."

"Do we have eyes in the temple?" He asked.

"I'm afraid not." She informed him. "We can't exactly stick a camera and a microphone anywhere we want. That's a temple; people go there for privacy to worship."

"Besides, we have to respect people's rights." Mia reminded him. "A few gap sensors in public places in one thing, but the spandex doesn't give us a right to become Big Brother."

"Right, so we have no eyes inside, but we do know the layout." Jayden interjected. They could discuss the ethics of surveillance over privacy at another time. "The shrine area is the most obvious place to keep them. It's the largest room, so they'd be easy to see if they tried to escape."

"I can go with that train of thought." Mike stated.

"I think we can probably expect some heavy Mooger movements in the grounds." Jayden stated. "If we're seen coming..."

"Right, then we're going in the quiet way." Kevin summarised.

"We need to hit them at all sides at once." Jayden told them. "There are three entrances, the front, the back and the roof."

"The back way gives us cover from the tree line." Mike told them. "Kevin and I can cover that entrance."

"Emily and I will take the front way." Mia replied. "We're a bit better at being subtle than you two."

"I'll take the roof." Jayden told them. "Remember, no morphing until we're ready for entry. We need to get visual on the hostages so we don't put them in any more danger than necessary. We have until midnight, which means we have..."

They synchronised their watches, ensuring they all had the right time.

"Ten minutes." Jayden confirmed. "If you can, take out any Moogers on your path, but do it quietly."

"Jayden." Mike called out as they were about to move. He handed him the disk from the Light Zord. "You're going in alone, so take this."

"What is it?" Jayden asked him.

"I found it in the Light Zord." Mike informed him. "It looks like an upgrade Antonio was working on. I have a feeling it's for you anyway."

With that, they all headed off, making their way to their entry points. They could only hope that they weren't already too late.

Inside the temple, Mentor Ji was still busy, tending to Brenda. Without any form of medical supplies, he was very limited in exactly how much he could help. Antonio and Stephen were checking out the chains that Serrator had used to attach them to the idol, hoping to find a way to release themselves while Serrator and his Nighlock assistant, Eyescar were distracted, in conversation about what was to come. There were Moogers all around, and even if they could release themselves, without their morphers they couldn't imagine being a match for the Nighlock, even if they didn't have a couple of civilians with them.

"Alright, we're going nowhere by ourselves." Antonio finally confirmed after working his fingers raw trying in vain to release his chains. "How is she?"

"Uncomfortable." Brenda muttered. Ji just stroked her face in a comforting gesture.

"We will do what we can." Ji assured her. "Try not to talk; you must conserve your strength."

"What do you reckon they're talking about?" Stephen asked them.

"Probably just the trap they've set up." Antonio replied.

"Yeah, but don't you think things are odd?" Stephen asked him. "I mean...the Moogers don't seem to be doing much, just kind of hanging around."

Antonio looked around, intending to comment, but as he thought about it, he realised that Stephen was right. They weren't doing too much; in fact as he watched more closely, some of them actually seemed to be bored. One of them was sharpening his sword with a whetting stone, another couple were sparring...

"Is that one playing knives?" Antonio asked, seeing one with its hand splayed out on a bench, jabbing a knife between its fingers, moving faster and faster with each passing moment.

"Eyescar doesn't seem to be doing much either. He and Serrator are just talking." Stephen remarked. "If anything, he seems like he's unhappy about something."

Over in the centre of the room, Serrator was leaning against a wall, listening to Eyescar with disinterest. He had gone along with him in order to back him up, and had assured him that he had a plan in mind, but now as midnight got closer, the Nighlock was becoming increasingly restless.

"But what about the trap?" Eyescar asked. "The Rangers will be here any minute!"

"Do not concern yourself." Serrator said as he waved him off casually. "Have I not told you my plan is foolproof?"

"You have told me that many times, but so far you have failed to tell me what that plan is!" He snapped. "Since you seem to believe these Moogers and I are so integral to your plan, perhaps it would be prudent to tell us what it is?"

"You will know soon enough." Serrator assured him. "I have taken care of everything. You just get ready. As you have said yourself, the Rangers will be here any minute."

"Perhaps I should speak with Xandred..."

"You would risk leaving your position to bother Xandred and risk his temper when the time is so close?" Serrator asked him. "Then be my guest. I suppose another can take your glory."

Eyescar just snarled in frustration, before storming off. Serrator watched him go and had a small chuckle to himself. He had set everything up perfectly.

"Right on schedule." He stated.

Mike and Kevin arrived at the back of the temple, removing a couple of Mooger guards as quietly as they could. Mike clutched the Light Zord tightly as Kevin opened his Samuraizer.

"Mike and I are in position." He whispered.

"Emily and I are ready too." Mia confirmed as Emily dealt with the last of the guard outside. "Jayden?"

"In position." Jayden stated as he approached the skylight. He opened the hatch a little way so he could see what was happening inside. True to their presumption, the hostages were all by the altar. Antonio, Stephen and Ji were all chained to the altar, while Brenda appeared not to be. It was a moot point, she clearly wasn't going anywhere by herself. She looked in a bad way. Ji was holding her gently, doing what he could to ease her. "They're all by the altar. Brenda seems in a bad way, we won't have long."

He readied his morpher, and prepared to move.

"On three. One...two..."

Inside the temple, the Moogers were still waiting, bored and lacking in direction. Eyescar was also becoming increasingly agitated waiting for something to happen. Little did they know they did not have much longer to wait. With a crash, the doors flew open, and Emily and Mia came barging in.

Mike and Kevin came in another set of doors, a hail of flying power disks from the Light Zord staggering Eyescar as they attacked.

Jayden dropped in from the ceiling, landing on the floor in the centre. He slipped the newest Power Disk onto his Spin Sword and activated it. As the blinding light dissipated, he appeared in the centre of the room, wearing a red long-coat, and carrying a new sword, fashioned after a shark. He felt the power running through him and knew immediately how to use it.

"Right on schedule." Serrator stated, before disappearing into a gap. Eyescar watched him go, and screamed out.

"You coward!" He screamed as he realised what was happening. The Rangers were ploughing through his forces with incredible force, having caught them all completely flat-footed. Jayden broke the chains holding Antonio, Jayden and Ji with his Shark Sword, handing Ji and Antonio their morphers.

"Stephen, stay with her!" Antonio told him. Stephen just nodded. "Guys, let's see what this can do!"

He powered up the Shark Sword, and cast it forward. The Rangers all watched in awe as it whipped around the room, twisting and turning around pillars and benches, cutting down all the remaining Moogers in one fell swoop. He brought it back to his side as Ji and Antonio joined him. Mike threw the Light Zord to Antonio.

"Thanks for the loan." He stated. "But I think you could do with some payback."

Antonio and Ji powered up their weapons, blasting Eyescar clean out of the temple through the open door and into the grounds. Jayden leapt out after him, preparing his strike.

The first downward strike hit Eyescar with a power that caused him to scream in agony, before Jayden spun away from him. He didn't even look at Eyescar, the sword simply responded to his will, like and extension of him, seeking out and finding its prey wherever he ended up. Dozens of strikes sent the Nighlock high into the air, before the final strike brought him down, exploding devastatingly on the ground. Jayden turned around as the others ran to his side.

"Alright, that was amazing!" Antonio remarked. "I knew this thing would be powerful, but that was way cooler than I'd have ever imagined!"

"Alright, our problems just got bigger." Mike remarked as Eyescar returned to his second life. "If you've got any more tricks up your sleeve dude, now would be a good time."

"What do you take me for?" Antonio asked. "Do it Jayden!"

Jayden drove the Shark Sword into the ground, before activating the Lion Folding Zord. Emily, Mia, Kevin and Mike followed suit, summoning the Samurai Megazord. Antonio and Ji watched on as they prepared for battle.

Activating the Shark Disk, Ji was astonished to see that the Shark Sword came from the cockpit and turned into a full sized Zord. He looked to Antonio in amazement.

"You did this?" He asked.

"Stephen has some pretty wild ideas, but we managed to make it work!" Antonio told him excitedly. The Shark Zord attacked Eyescar a few times, softening him up before Jayden recalled it. It formed together with the Megazord, making a brand new combination.

"This truly is amazing!" Ji stated. Before long, the Megazord had powered up its attack, destroying Eyescar completely. The Rangers returned to the ground, recalling their zords as they ran back to Ji and Antonio.

"It sounds like they're playing our song." Antonio stated as he heard sirens in the distance. One of the worst parts about the Ranger business was being unable to hang around to see what happened once the emergency services arrived. Generally, their battles attracted the cops, the ambulance, and the fire services...occasionally the military as well. It was not the first time they had to make a quick get-away or answer a lot of awkward questions. "Kevin...?"

"On it!" He called out, running to fetch the SUV. Ji and the others ran up the steps back into the temple. Ji knew that leaving Brenda here would put her in danger, and lead to yet more questions. They would have to return her to the hospital themselves. As they got to the temple though, they all stopped, frozen to the spot by what they saw. Their hearts ran cold as they saw that Serrator had returned and was kneeling over Brenda, while holding Stephen by the hair.

"That was impressive Rangers. You are getting stronger all the time. It will be thrilling to be the one to end the noble families for good."

"Alright, your business is with us!" Jayden snapped. "Let them go. If you want a fight..."

"Not tonight, that would be far too easy." He stated, grabbing his weapon, which hovered over Brenda menacingly. "For now, I will honour my promise. You arrived before midnight, so one dies tonight."

Before they could stop him, he grabbed Stephen's head. They saw the fear in his eyes, and he tried to rush something out.

"Ser.."

His last word never escaped his lips. With a horrendous crack that sickened everyone in the room, he twisted his head sharply. Stephen fell to the ground, dead before he hit the floor.

"This is just the beginning." He promised them. With that, he disappeared into a gap, leaving the Rangers standing, completely stunned.

"Stephen?" Emily started to whimper, tears already beginning to form. Mike and Mia couldn't say or do anything, just staring at the scene. Eventually Jayden moved forward, leaning down to pick up Stephen.

"Guys..."

"Stephen..."

"We can't do anything for him!" Jayden rushed out. He too was upset, but he knew the importance of their situation. The emergency services would be here any second. Brenda needed to be taken back to the hospital, and they couldn't risk being caught in this scene. Ji picked up Brenda, cradling her softly.

"Jayden..."

"Let's go." He said flatly.

"But..."

"Mike!" Jayden reiterated. "I said, let's go."

With that, they ran out the temple, just as Kevin pulled up. The Rangers all got in, carefully placing Brenda in her seat. Ji remained with her, while the others got in.

"Pop the trunk." Jayden instructed Kevin.

"What?" Kevin asked. It was only then that he saw Stephen in his arms. "Jayden...?"

"Just do it Kevin!" He reiterated. Kevin complied, at which Jayden loaded Stephen into the back, before getting into the shotgun seat. None of the others could speak, still unable to comprehend what had happened. Mia and Mike comforted Emily in the back as Jayden looked to Kevin.

"Hospital." He instructed him. "We need to get Brenda back."

Kevin just nodded and pulled away from the kerb, heading across country to avoid the road and the risk of running into the emergency services. Jayden just sat and looked out the window, his mind working on the events of the evening. No one knew more than him the risks of being a Ranger. He had lost his father in the war when he was a child. He was just as upset about Stephen's death as the others, but he knew that his responsibility was to their duty. Sometimes, being the leader meant he couldn't be considerate of the feelings of others. Sometimes, being the leader really sucked.

Back in the Netherworld, Serrator arrived on the Junk, finding Xandred waiting for him. The Lord of the Nighlock seemed far from happy. Octoroo had already fled, fearing his reaction.

"So, this is your plan?" He asked. "To sacrifice one of my Nighlock and my Moogers, only to return empty handed?"

"I wouldn't exactly say I returned empty handed." Serrator said calmly. This only seemed to anger Xandred further.

"You dare to...!"

"I identified a strength in the team, and I eliminated it." Serrator interrupted him. "Let us see them create more of their little toys without their toy maker."

Xandred stopped in his rage as he realised what Serrator was getting at. His plan was never to trap the Rangers. He had no intention of taking them down. The whole plan was all about bringing Stephen into the line of fire.

"I have also dealt them their first casualty." He continued. "One of the weaknesses of having a heart is the weakness the humans feel when it is taken from them. I think the sacrifice of a Nighlock and a few Moogers is a small price, don't you?"

"We shall see." Xandred replied, reaching for some medicine. He was impressed by Serrator's cunning. It would be a long time before the Rangers could recover from this blow.

Later, back at the Shiba House, the Rangers were very subdued as they arrived back. Ji had managed to sneak Brenda back into the hospital and activate an alarm before leaving. They knew that they would take care of her, he would have to wait to see her, he could only hope.

"Hey guys, is Brenda OK?" Serena asked as they arrived back. She could see a lot of long faces, deeply disturbed faces as they filed in. "Guys?"

"Serena..."

"What happened?" She asked. "Is it Brenda? What...?"

She stopped in her tracks as she saw Emily's tears. Mia looked not far from it either. On the whole, everyone just seemed to be in shock.

"What happened? What's going on?" She asked. "Will somebody tell me?"

"Serena." Jayden stated, coming in the door. Her eyes grew wide as she saw that in his arms, he was carrying Stephen. His body hung limply, showing no indication of life whatsoever. She just started to shake her head.

"No..."

"Serena...!"

"NO!" She screamed, running for him. Emily and Mia quickly grabbed her, hugging her intently as she continued to scream. Jayden made his way over to the couch and gently laid him down. He went to Serena and looked to her as her tears continued to run down her face. He wanted to be able to do something, to somehow make it all go away, but his mind and his heart could only come up with the two words he heard over and over again when he was told his father wasn't coming home. The two words that he had grown to hate.

"I'm sorry."


	9. Difficult Decisions

The night was a long one for the Rangers. It wasn't that they weren't tired, after the battle and the events of the day, all of them were easily exhausted enough to sleep all day and all night. Right now though, it was the last thing on any of their minds. The only thing any of them could think of was the body of their fallen comrade, which lay wrapped in a blanket on the couch.

Serena sat on a beanbag, clutching the Master System Stephen had bought at the market only a short time earlier. She had teased him about buying it, thinking it was incredibly cute that he was to happy to own again the first games console he'd ever owned. She still couldn't find it in her to talk. Emily and Mia sat with her just waiting for her to talk to them if she needed it. Mike and Antonio were also in the room, though in all honesty neither of them had a clue what to do.

Ji was in the kitchen preparing tea. Although he wasn't sure how much of a mood anyone would be in to drink it, there was little else he could do while Jayden and Kevin sorted out an uncomfortable, some would say cruel, but necessary task.

Jayden and Kevin came into the room carrying a couple of boxes. It wasn't much all things considered. Stephen hadn't come to them with much from the Tengen Gate, and he hadn't really been with them long enough to accumulate many more possessions. Everything was in these boxes. His clothes, his identification, everything that was a life taken far too early was in those two simple boxes.

"I think that's everything." Jayden said as he put down his box on the table. He looked to Mike and Antonio. "You two are more familiar with his tech. Check his room to see if we've missed anything."

"Are you kidding?" Mike asked, a little startled by what was happening. "Is this a joke?"

"Mike..."

"He's only been dead a little over an hour!" Mike snapped. "You're clearing him out just like that?"

"Mike, it has to be done!" Jayden snapped back. He didn't feel any more comfortable with this than they did, but having been around the war since his birth, he was more pointedly aware of the practical things that had to be done no matter how much they were grieving. It was far from the first casualty in their war, and it was not the first time he had seen this. A death in the house would only cause questions to be asked, questions that couldn't be answered. Stephen had to disappear, and as much as he would have liked for it to be different for Serena's sake, he had to disappear tonight. Antonio looked between Jayden and Serena, before getting up and heading for Stephen's room.

"I'll look." He told Jayden. Jayden could tell he wasn't happy being involved in this. He just nodded.

"Thank you." Jayden replied.

"What the hell?" Mike asked. "How can you be so...?"

"Mike!" Jayden barked in the voice he rarely used with his team. The one he used only for an order not to be questioned under any circumstances. He pointed to the garden. "Come, now!"

Mike went outside with Jayden, completely furious. Jayden stopped and turned around; Mike was ready to lose it.

"For pity's sake, Serena's just lost her boyfriend!" He roared. "That's Stephen in there! Stephen! You know him right? He's a human being, and you're just packing him up and getting rid of him like...!"

"Are you quite finished?" Jayden asked. "Do you think I don't care?"

"He's not even cold yet and you're packing everything up and taking him out like the trash!" Mike protested.

"I'm really sorry to be insensitive about this Mike, but in case you forgot, a lot is happening that will bring a lot of attention our way!" Jayden told him. "Brenda got shot, and then she disappeared and reappeared in hospital. Not to mention there is a police investigation into that meaning that they could be coming around any day now! Do you really think explaining Stephen's death is going to make that any easier?"

Mike paused as he thought about that. Given everything that had happened, he had almost forgotten about the investigation. The police had said they might need to talk to Ji again, and while he doubted they would show up right now, he supposed he had to concede that as of this moment, they did have a dead body in their living room when they were already potentially suspects in an attempted murder investigation. Jayden stepped closer, and by now Mike could see that he was clearly mad, but also upset.

"I'm sorry that I can't be more sensitive about this, I really wish I could. I cared about Stephen too, but we can't do anything for him." Jayden told him. "But if this all comes out, what happened will be for nothing."

Just then, a black van arrived, pulling into the driveway. A couple of men Mike had never seen before came over.

"Ji called." One of them said to Jayden.

"He's in the Living Room." Jayden told them. "We're just making sure we've rounded up all his stuff."

With that, they went inside. Jayden looked back to Mike and sighed.

"We'll be there for each other." He told Mike. "Just because I have to deal with things like this doesn't mean I don't care about them. Sometimes my position means I don't have the luxury of stopping, even if that's all I want."

The men came out, carrying the boxes of Stephen's possessions. Jayden went inside, followed closely by Mike. He went over to Serena and placed a hand on her shoulder. She just looked up at him.

"It's time." Jayden told her. Serena just got up, making her way over to Stephen's body. She leaned over the bundle of blankets wrapping it, and gently peeled back enough to expose his face. She leaned in, whispering something to him, as though hoping he would hear it, before placing a soft kiss on his lips. As she stood up straight, Emily was once more by her side, wrapping her arms around her. The two men came in, covering him over once more, before picking him up. Jayden stopped them as they were about to leave.

"Thank you." He stated. "It's appreciated."

They left afterwards, and a short time after that, they heard the van pulling away, taking Stephen with them. Ji arrived with the tea, laying it down on the table.

"It's done." Jayden informed him. Ji just nodded in understanding.

"Then perhaps it is best..."

Serena just got up and went to her room, the room that until that night, she had shared with Stephen. Emily went to go with her, but Ji held up a hand.

"Give her time." He told her. "She will come to us when she is ready."

"So...that's it?" Mike asked. "We just...carry on like nothing happened?"

"That is something I know would be impossible." Ji replied, pouring them all some tea. "Try to rest for tonight. Tomorrow, we will prepare for what comes next."

The following morning, Detective Underwood was about to leave his apartment, when he found Johnson waiting for him.

"It's a little early for you to be up isn't it?" Underwood asked his partner sarcastically. "Normally I don't see you until after you have Breakfast at Toni's."

"Well, I just thought you might be a little interested in the latest development in the case." Johnson said with a little smile. "Brenda Hamilton disappeared from the hospital yesterday."

"She what?" Underwood yelled.

"You see, while you were busy chasing bullets..."

"What the hell happened?" Underwood asked. "We're going there..."

"Well that would be a little redundant." Johnson interrupted him. "You see, just as mysteriously, she reappeared. Someone put her back in her room and sounded the alarm. The hospital said she's weakened by the experience, but she's stable now."

"I want two guards on her 24/7!" Underwood told him. Johnson just rolled his eyes.

"It's not my first rodeo." He said sarcastically. "But seeing as how the one person we've not seen yet is the boyfriend, perhaps..."

"The boyfriend can wait." Underwood told him. "Right now, we're heading to Jessop's."

"The gun store?" Johnson asked him. "You're letting the boyfriend..."

"I didn't get the impression it was him." Underwood replied. "I'm not ruling him out, but the gun might be the best evidence to link the shooter to the crime. The bullets were from a Hardballer."

"The shooter used a Hardballer?" Johnson asked. "That's pretty retro."

"We also have a statement from a suspect saying he once owned one." Underwood reminded him. "Someone who was already witnessed having an argument with the victim!"

"Costaz?" Johnson asked him.

"Jessop's is the only store in the last month that sold those rounds." Underwood told him. "Maybe it'll be worth checking the cameras don't you think?"

"Lead the way." Johnson replied, gesturing to the elevator as Underwood got his coat.

The Shiba House was just as quiet in the morning as it had been the previous night. Training had been called off when it was clear no one had any real drive to work at it. Serena so far hadn't even put in an appearance. She was still in her bed, and no one really wanted to wake her. The way she had left them the previous night, they had thought that giving her some time to herself was the best thing right now.

Ji called them all to the table in the Living Room, at which they arrived, feeling a little apprehensive. They had a lot to deal with in their young lives. While all of them had been raised for the war, and he was sure their parents would have talked to them about their last battle, the one in which Jayden's father had fallen; only Jayden had ever genuinely lost anyone to the war. While none of them could think about much else, he had to prepare them for the part they needed to play in explaining Stephen's absence.

"I know that this is not going to be easy." Ji told them. "But you all need to know what is happening if we are to..."

His words tailed off, and they all looked to the door as Serena appeared. She was very pale, except for her eyes, which were very red, likely as a combination of tears when she could actually cry and a lack of any real sleep. She just came over to the table and silently sat down.

"Serena..."

"I need to hear this." She told them. Mike just looked around all of them.

"Serena, we understand..."

"I'm probably the one most people are going to ask." Serena stated. "I need to know what to say."

Ji just nodded. He was impressed by her bravery, and he would have preferred not to involve her, but he knew that she was right. Sooner or later people that knew Stephen would want to know where he went, and she was the one they were likely to ask.

"Firstly, I want to assure you that Stephen was cremated in the early hours of the morning." He informed them. "When it is safe, his remains will be returned to us so we can pay our respects properly."

Emily put her arm around Serena. It was little comfort, but at least she knew what had happened to him. They would get their chance to say goodbye to him eventually.

"Secondly, we have to cover his disappearance." Ji told them. "We will tell his employers at the Apple Store that he had to leave suddenly for a family emergency. We will not go into details, but we will make it clear that he does not expect to be back in the foreseeable future."

"Uh...isn't that going to be a little suspicious?" Kevin asked. "I mean, how many people just disappear? What if someone calls the cops?"

"We have contacts who will use his bank account." Ji told them. "A few cash transactions here and there over the next year or so to keep it active, and eventually it will be closed. After that, we will quietly have his identity dissolved."

It sounded so heartlessly simple. This was a person, an actual human being, and yet at the end of the day, the way he would be tracked, the way to simply make him disappear was essentially down to a few forms, some financial transactions, and a simple statement that he had left town. Stephen's identity had been created from scratch when he decided to stay, and it seemed that it was just as simple to dissolve.

"So...the only thing connecting him here..."

"Is his workmates." Ji confirmed. "Which means that the next stage is to make the call."

"I'll do it." Serena told him. They all looked to her.

"Serena..."

"I'm the one anyone's going to ask about this." She reminded him. "It'll sound most convincing coming from me."

"Are you sure?" Ji asked her. "I will..."

"I'll do it." She reiterated. Ji just handed her the phone. Serena took it and dialled. She waited a moment until she got an answer.

"I'd like to speak to the manager please." She said. The others watched on as Serena took some time to steel herself. "It's Serena. I wanted to talk to you about Stephen."

They watched, ready to help her if she needed it. Serena summoned up all the strength she had, pushing aside her grief as she listened.

"I'm afraid he's not going to be coming back." She told the man on the other end. "It's a family emergency. He left in the early this morning."

They could see tears on her face as she struggled to keep up the pretence. It was just as well she was talking over the phone, if he could see her; there was no way she could pull this off.

"I'm afraid I can't say, even he doesn't know when he'll be back." Serena replied. "Yes, I'm sorry too."

She hung up, at which the others just watched her wordlessly.

"I'm proud of you." Ji told her. Serena just nodded.

"I just need a moment." She stated as she got up from the table, heading back to her room. Heading back to her room, she went to her bed. Lying down, she reached underneath it, and pulled out the Master System. She had taken it to her room, secreting it there while the others were distracted with taking Stephen away. She knew that they didn't want anything of his to remain, but she couldn't let them take everything. She just clutched it to her chest, and curled into a ball and wept.

Underwood arrived at the gun store with Johnson, approaching the desk.

"Good morning." The man behind the desk greeted them. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

"I'm Detective Underwood, this is Detective Johnson. We're investigating a shooting incident." Underwood greeted him as he showed him his identification. "And you are...?"

"Frederick Jessop." He replied. "Owner and proprietor."

Johnson then slipped a piece of paper to him. "I believe you sold a box of cartridges for..."

"A Hardballer? Sure, I sold these rounds." He interrupted him. "Don't get much call for those these days, I remember it well."

"Do you still have security footage of the day in question?" Underwood asked him. "We'd like to look at it."

"Sure, the tapes are in the back, you can have them if you like." Jessop stated. "Although I could save you some time and just tell you who bought them."

"Really?" Underwood asked.

"Like I said, I don't get much call for those shells. I think I had that box in the counter for a couple of years before Marcus showed up."

"Marcus...?"

"Marcus Costaz." He replied with a smile. "He owns a restaurant a few blocks from here. I go there at least twice a week! His lamb is just so tender..."

"We know Mr. Costaz." Johnson sighed. Jessop suddenly looked very ill as he was interrupted from his tangent. In his enthusiasm to talk about the restaurant, he had lost track of what they were talking about. They wanted to know about the bullets in connection to a crime.

"Wait, you think...?"

"Just get us those tapes please." Underwood interrupted him.

"Of course." Jessop replied a little nervously, heading into the back. Underwood turned to Johnson, who was standing, playing with a lighter.

"Well, I'll be damned." He replied. "I'm never going to hear the end of this am I?"

"It's always the boyfriend huh?" Underwood asked him. "Well, if that's the case smart guy, why don't you try explaining why one of our chief suspects bought rounds for a gun he claims he disposed of years ago?"

Jessop came back with the security tape for the day of the sale and handed it to the cops. He looked a little pale.

"This is an ongoing investigation Mr Jessop, you understand..."

"I'll not say anything." He replied.

"We'll need a statement." Johnson told him. "Report to the station as soon as you can."

"Of course detective." He replied. As they left, getting into their car, Johnson started up the engine as Underwood got on the radio.

"This is Detective Underwood, we are requesting all available units to be on the lookout for Marcus Costaz in relation to the shooting of Brenda Hamilton." He announced. "Suspect is to be presumed armed and dangerous."


	10. Arrest

Underwood and Johnson pulled up outside the restaurant, finding that all the signs were still unlit, but the interior was. It was now Friday, and the restaurant would still be closed at least another week awaiting inspection, missing one of the busiest weekends of the year, the reason they were sure that Marcus Costaz had taken the decision to exact vengeance by shooting Brenda in a parking lot.

Encouragingly, the lights were on inside, meaning that someone was likely inside. As they approached, they saw a waitress cleaning up. Underwood held up his badge, and gestured to her to open the door.

She did so, allowing them inside.

"Detectives Underwood and Johnson." He said, gesturing to his partner and himself. "We're here to speak to Marcus Costaz."

"Mr. Costaz is in his apartment upstairs." She informed them. "He said he's not to be disturbed. He's doing some paperwork..."

"He'll make an exception for us." Johnson replied. "Stay here."

As they made their way into the back, and started going up the stairs, Johnson checked on his gun.

"Let's just try and get him to come quietly." Underwood told him.

"This is his apartment." Johnson reminded him. "We already suspect he has a gun, we don't know what other kind of tools he has up there."

"That's just one of the reasons I'd rather do this quietly." Underwood replied. He knocked on the door, which was answered a short time later by Costaz. He seemed a little edgy, and was making an effort to keep the door between the officers and himself.

"Mr Costaz, we'd like to talk...!"

Costas immediately slammed the door shut, staggering them. Johnson and Underwood pulled out their guns.

"So much for the quiet approach!" Johnson commented as he kicked into the door. It stood firm, and took a couple of attempts to kick in. The two men made their way inside, checking the room carefully for Costaz, prepared for an ambush. It didn't come though.

"Underwood!" Johnson called out. Underwood looked around as he came in, carrying a blood-stained shirt. "Look what I found by the laundry. Even odds says it's Hamilton's."

"Blood stains do take a few runs to get out." Underwood stated. Just then, he saw the window open. He ran to it, in time to see Costaz running down the street, having dropped down from the fire escape. Underwood ran from the apartment and down into the restaurant in hot pursuit. He got onto the street, seeing Costaz heading down the street and ran after him.

"Suspect Marcus Costaz is heading North on Grove. All units report, Detective Underwood in pursuit on foot!" He announced into his radio. The chase did not last much longer though. Taking a wrong turning, Costaz found himself in a dead end. Underwood only just ducked as he picked up a glass bottle in his right hand and threw it at his head.

He picked up another, preparing to throw it, but Underwood trained his pistol on him.

"How do you think this is going to end Costaz?" Underwood asked him. "Put the bottle down, and get down on the ground!"

Costaz was in a complete panic as he thought about his options.

"I didn't do it!" He screamed. "I swear to God...!"

"Just put the bottle down and get down or I will shoot!" Underwood reiterated a little more forcefully. Costaz finally dropped the bottle, and holding his hands behind his head, started to lower himself to the ground. As he got onto the ground, Underwood approached him slowly, keeping him covered. A couple of patrolmen arrived at the end of the street.

"Detective Underwood, I've got the suspect under control." Underwood stated. "Cuff him!"

One of the patrolmen did as he was told, before they pulled Costaz back to his feet. Once he was confident that the prisoner was contained, Underwood put his gun away.

"Marcus Costaz, I am arresting you on suspicion of the attempted murder of Brenda Hamilton. You have the right to remain silent..."

"I didn't do it!" Costas yelled at him. "I'm telling you..."

"...Anything you do say may be given in evidence. You have the right to an attorney..."

"I'm telling you, you're making a huge mistake!" Costaz screamed at him."

"...If you cannot afford one, then one will be appointed to you." Underwood completed his rights. He then stepped forward. "Mr. Costaz, that last art about an attorney, I would really advise you take that seriously, because right now, things aren't looking good for you. Take him to the station and detain him until I get there."

"Yes detective." One of the patrolmen replied, dragging him down the street. "So, what is it tough guy? Does shooting a woman make you feel really macho?"

Underwood though had another thought. Something seemed really odd to him about Costaz's attempted flight. Straightening himself out, he started to make his way back to the restaurant.

Over at the Shiba House, the Rangers had gotten back to training. They were trying their best to use the loss of Stephen, to convert it into fire and get back into training in full strength. They weren't quite there yet, sadness still creeping in and taking their concentration, but at least they were getting back into it.

Jayden was working with Emily, and he was finding it hard going. Although his own mind kept spinning with thoughts about what had happened, but Emily was clearly very distracted, and was taking a bit of a hammering, even despite Jayden going easy on her.

As she hit the mat again, nursing a painful red mark across her left arm, Ji just sighed.

"Alright, everybody stop. That is enough for today." He told them. None of them were working at full capacity, and their minds were clearly all over the place. They spent as much time on the floor as they did on their feet, and while they had made some headway, he could see that by now they were only succeeding in risking seriously hurting each other, something that they could ill afford at this time. "Go and get cleaned up. Jayden, can I have a word with you please?"

Jayden came over as the others went into the house slowly to get washed up and changed. Jayden approached him.

"I think I know what you're going to say." Jayden began, looking at the door. "I'm worried about Emily..."

"Emily has a lot to concentrate on, that is true." Ji agreed. Not only did Emily have to worry about her own mourning, she was also deeply concerned about Serena. Her older sister had lost the man she loved, and while she had been brave about things so far, she was also clearly finding it hard. She hadn't left the house since Stephen had died, and had barely even left her room. He knew that Emily was struggling. Something else was bothering him though. "I was actually going to ask how you were doing."

"I'm fine." Jayden returned quickly. Ji just nodded.

"Well, that is remarkable." Ji told him. "I do not know many people that would be fine under the circumstances. I know I am not."

"Ji, it's my responsibility..."

"It is your responsibility to lead the team, I know that. I was the one that raised you for that." Ji reminded him. "However, that will not be possible if you are not honest with yourself. You need to be strong, and part of that is to acknowledge your feelings and get them under control."

"Ji..."

"You were going easily on Emily, and I understand why." Ji told him. "But you know that eventually that will not help anyone, least of all your team if that continues."

"What do you want me to say Ji?" He asked. "Do you want me to say I'm sad Stephen got killed? That I'm angry? Yes, I am! But I don't have the luxury of..."

"There is one more thing you must acknowledge and deal with." Ji stated. "And you know what that is."

"I screwed up Ji." Jayden sighed, leaning against the wall, sliding down to the floor. He held his head in his hands. "I was so focussed on Eyescar...I was...I..."

Ji sat with him as he struggled to form the words.

"I left Stephen and Brenda alone." He recalled. "I could have asked one of you to stay with them, but I didn't."

He looked to Ji his eyes beginning to tear up.

"It's my fault." He stated. "The team relies on me, puts their trust in me. I screwed up, and Stephen paid the price."

"It is only natural to feel guilt when we survive and one of our friends does not." Ji told him. "It is much harder for you though. You are responsible for the others' lives in the field. You know that you must place them in danger, and that weighs heavily upon you."

"Stephen isn't...wasn't a Samurai." Jayden told him. "He wasn't like us; he shouldn't have been in there...!"

"Neither should Brenda." Ji reminded him. "Sometimes casualties will occur that we cannot control. I am as much to blame for Stephen's death as you are. He only left the Shiba House because I asked him to. However, neither one of us took his life."

Ji pulled a bit closer.

"This is just between us, Serena can never hear this, you understand?" Ji asked. Jayden just nodded. "When Serrator had both Brenda and Stephen, I thought he would choose her. He had his weapon at the ready. He had it ready to strike, and for a moment, my heart stopped still."

"Ji..."

"When he chose Stephen, when he broke his neck, I was as stunned and distraught as all of you." Ji told him. "However, if I am truly honest, there was a part of me, even if only for a moment, that was relieved that he did not choose Brenda. For a moment, I was happy that it was Stephen."

Jayden looked shocked at what Ji had said. Stephen was as much a friend to Ji as the rest of them. How could he say that?

"I too have felt guilt over that." Ji told him. "I shall have to find a way to live on and do my duty. After all, if I allow this to consume me and it affects the war, then Stephen truly will have died for nothing. That is the only way I can dishonour his memory."

"So you're saying I should just stop feeling guilty?" Jayden asked. Ji shook his head.

"No, I know that would not be possible." Ji assured him. "Just be mindful of it, and try to remember that in time it will become easier."

With that, he patted Jayden on the shoulder and got up, before helping him to his feet.

"Do what you need to; you are entitled to grieve as much as the others." Ji told him. "Tomorrow is another day, and time is one thing I fear Xandred is unlikely to give us. The sooner we are back to strength the better. That means, we may have to push the others more than we are comfortable to."

Jayden just watched him leave, and composed himself before heading into the house. He knew Ji was right. For now, they would do what they could, but they did not have much time. Xandred was undoubtedly already planning his next move, and they needed to be ready for it.

Underwood arrived back at the apartment above the restaurant, finding Johnson there with a few uniform officers, just finishing securing the scene. Johnson was casually smoking as the officers worked around him.

"So, I hear you did your best Ussain Bolt impression and caught the scumbag." Johnson said with a smile. "Well, I guess that just about wraps things up here."

"Not quite." Underwood stated. "I want to make sure this sticks. Something doesn't feel right about all of this."

Johnson just rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.

"God, don't you want to arrest anybody?" Johnson asked him in exasperation. "For God's sake, what do you need, a signed confession and a smoking gun?"

"I don't believe in easy arrests." Underwood told him. "I'm not going to nail some guy's ass to a cross just to have someone nailed there. I want to be sure we've got the right guy."

"Look, we know he had the gun, he bought ammo, he had motive, he has blood-stained clothing that's on the way to his lab as we speak, and while you were out playing track runner..." He pulled out his notepad and showed it to Underwood. "I called R&I and got his jacket. His wife divorced him three years ago on...guess what grounds...domestic abuse!"

"There's also a conviction here." Underwood read. "Assault, 200 hours and court mandated anger management therapy."

"Pretty steep don't you think?" Johnson asked. "Something tells me it was more than just a black eye. So, he also has form for violence against women."

"Sergeant." Underwood called out, gesturing over a man taking notes. "Are you the one taking inventory?"

"Yes Detective." He answered, handing him the report. Underwood checked the list, and frowned as he checked the list of items. "Have you finished yet?"

"Not yet, but we should be finished soon." The Sergeant replied. Underwood just handed him back the report.

"Let me see it when it's done." Underwood told him. He turned back to Johnson and gestured to the door.

"Let's go to the hospital, I want to talk to Brenda Hamilton if she's up to it." He told him. Johnson just groaned.

"What? We've got the guy!" He reiterated.

"No, so far we've got a lot of circumstantial evidence." Underwood reminded him. "It's looking good, especially if we can pressure him into a confession, but..."

"Then let's do it!" Johnson stated. "Let's go to the station, confirm the blood on the clothes is hers, get the confession, then when we talk to Ms. Hamilton; it'll be to tell her we're putting the son of a bitch who shot her in prison for the next twenty years!"

"I only have one problem with that story." Underwood stated. "It took us almost thirty seconds to get into the apartment. He had all the time he needed to grab the gun, but when I cornered him, he tried to fend me off with the contents of a trash can. If he had a Hardballer, why did he choose to use Budweiser bottles to drive off a pursuing officer?"

"Maybe he didn't want to add shooting a cop to the list of charges." Johnson suggested.

"We didn't find a gun on him when we searched him." Underwood continued. "The inventory of the items in the apartment doesn't include the gun."

"So he tossed it!" Johnson yelled. "He'll probably crack and tell us where he disposed of it in interrogation! What kind of dumbass keeps the gun they just used to shoot someone anyway?"

"The kind of dumbass who doesn't dispose of blood stained clothes?" Underwood replied sarcastically with a shrug as he opened the passenger door of their car. Johnson just paused. "So, he tosses a gun that's practically an antique without a thought to get of direct evidence, but keeps a two hundred dollar shirt and tries to wash it?"

"God, I hate it when you do that." Johnson groaned. "Alright, the hospital it is."


	11. Brenda's Statement

**A/N: **Just to reassure everyone before I get any messages that I will continue with the events of the latest episode soon, but for now, I'm wrapping up the Brenda side-story. Don't fret though, I will get back into it soon enough. Also, a short Spike section, just to show that although I've neglected his storyline for a couple of chapters, I haven't forgotten him.

At the Shiba House, Mike sat with Emily and Mike quietly. Of all the Rangers, normally they were the most lively, the ones responsible for most of the laughs in the house. Of course, right now, nobody really felt much like laughing. It was pretty much the last thing anyone felt like. They were, indeed, being remarkably quiet for them. There were no video games being played, no little giggle sessions as they planned new ways to torment their older "siblings" with jokes, they just sat mainly in silence.

Morning training was done, and so they were in the period between morning and evening training when they were allowed to do anything they wished, but any time they thought of something, it just didn't feel right. Stephen had played against Mike and Antonio a few times on the consoles, so the thought of video games was unappealing to them. Even when he wasn't creating any specific weapon, Antonio enjoyed tinkering with parts just to see what they did and how he could put them together, but Stephen had been helping him with that. Again, it was something he just couldn't face.

Seeing Emily looking at Serena's door, Mike knew that she wanted to be with her, to see for herself that Serena was alright. She hadn't left her room since the previous day. Ji had put meals in the room, but it was worrying that Serena was just isolating herself completely from the others.

"You know, maybe we could go fishing." Jayden suggested as he arrived at the door. He had been watching them for a while now. He felt uneasy about allowing anyone too much time to wallow. After his talk with Ji, he was mindful that it would not do any good to allow anyone too much time to wallow. The fact was that they had to get back into the fight and quickly. He knew the value of distractions, but it seemed that most of what they could do around the house would only keep them thinking about Stephen. "Antonio, aren't you running a little low on stock?"

"I guess so." Antonio replied.

"You have plenty of rods right?" Jayden stated. "Let's make a day of it. We'll all go."

Mike and Emily didn't really look too sure about this idea. Fishing was one of the few interests that they didn't share with Antonio. As Kevin and Mia came into the room, Jayden saw them and thought he might be able to sway the others if he could get them to agree.

"How about you?" Jayden asked. "I thought we could all join Antonio fishing, get out the house for the day."

"Well, I guess it has been a while." Kevin said with a shrug. "Last time I went fishing, I landed a twelve ton swordfish."

"I suppose I cook enough of it." Mia agreed. "Alright, I guess we could."

Jayden looked to Emily and Mike. Mike just sighed.

"Ji will be here if Serena needs him." He assured her. "Alright. I guess hanging around here isn't doing any of us any good."

"Right, then it's settled." Jayden stated. "Antonio, get the cart."

Over at the hospital, Detective Underwood arrived, and was pointed in the direction of Brenda's room. Johnson had opted to smoke outside as he waited for Underwood to satisfy himself that they had covered all the angles.

After her disappearance, and subsequent reappearance, they were being a lot more cautious with her, so she was in the most secure area of the hospital. Just as ordered, there was an officer waiting outside the door. He showed his identification and went inside, finding Brenda, with a nurse holding her seated upright, while a doctor checked on her wounds to ensure there was no infection.

The desk staff hadn't informed him that she was being examined, so he hadn't announced himself, and caught her in this situation. The only saving grace was that he saw her from behind, preserving as much of her dignity as was possible under the circumstances. He could see the extent of her wounds. Three large, ugly exit wounds were prominent on the right side of her back. She also had a long, straight incision running around her chest around her lower ribs, the mark left by the operation when her lung was removed. Underwood held up a hand apologetically.

"Uh...sorry." He stammered. "I'll wait."

He went out into the hall, and waited patiently for the instruction that he could enter. As the doctor left, he stopped him.

"I'm sorry, the desk staff..."

"It's alright, no harm done detective." The doctor stated.

"Can you tell me the exact nature of her injuries?" Detective Underwood asked him.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you anything you don't already know." He replied. "She was shot three times at close range in the right side of the chest..."

"The exit wounds, they were also on the right side of the chest, weren't they?" He asked. The doctor just nodded.

"Yes, they were." He replied. "She's lucky in that respect. The bullets went on a straight path, so they missed her heart. If they'd hit that or her other lung, she almost certainly wouldn't have survived."

"Interesting." Underwood mused, considering something. "Thank you doctor."

He went into the room, finding that Brenda was now lying on the bed, having had her wounds re-dressed. He took a seat next to her.

"I have to apologise for earlier." He told her. "I didn't know you were being examined."

"It's alright." She replied weakly. "I've had plenty of people seeing me naked recently. I'm starting to get used to it."

"Detective Underwood, I'm investigating the attack on you Ms. Hamilton. I came to inform you that we have a suspect in custody, but I was wondering if you'd mind answering a few questions."

"Um...sure, I'll do what I can." She replied. Brenda was a little hesitant about this. Since he had sneaked her back into the hospital, she was sure there would be questions. Knowing the Rangers' secret, she knew there was very little she could say, and could only hope people would presume that her reluctance to talk was down to trauma from the incident, and didn't suspect she knew more than she told them.

"Firstly, what can you tell me about the disappearance?" He asked her. Brenda just shook her head.

"Hardly anything." She told him. "I was pretty out of it most of the time. What little of it I was conscious for...I barely knew anything. I'm sorry."

He wanted to know more about the disappearance, but seeing the way she was, he could believe that she wasn't confident in her memory of that. She barely seemed to be capable of speaking to him now, the reason that he had waited so long to get her statement. Whoever had taken her had taken her, and returned her to the hospital without leaving behind any trace, and the hospital had cameras in every corridor. It certainly wasn't as messy or unrefined as the trail Costaz had left, leading him to think that it was a separate issue entirely. All he could do for now was be thankful she appeared to have been returned, no worse off than she had been, and elect to investigate it later if he found anything.

"Alright, the day of the attack, what do you remember of it?" He asked her.

"Well, it was a pretty normal day otherwise." She told him. "I had a lot of paperwork to deal with, so I spent most of it in my office."

"I understand you came into conflict with a Mr. Marcus Costaz?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"Yes, he came into my office. He was screaming at me for quite a while." She informed him. "I threatened to have him arrested."

"Did you at any time..."

"I don't usually pay much attention to people screaming." Brenda told him. "I'm rarely someone a lot of people want to see. I've been threatened so many times...it normally just runs off my back."

"So what about after that?" He asked her.

"I went to lunch with my boyfriend, Ji." She told him. "Like I said, I don't take things like that seriously most of the time. I went back to the office and finished my shift."

"Can I ask where you went to lunch?" He asked.

"We went to the Italian place in the mall." She informed him. "It was a nice day, so we ate outside."

Underwood made a note of that. He hadn't spoken to Ji yet, but he knew he could confirm the story with him, and with the restaurant.

"So, what about the rest of the day?" He asked.

"Well, I made some calls, did some more paperwork...it was pretty quiet after that." She told him. "Until I got to the parking lot, then Mr. Costaz approached me again."

"Mr. Costaz was in the parking lot?" He asked her. This was something that interested him. So far, he hadn't heard anything that placed Costaz at the scene of the crime. Brenda though, had stated that he was there, something he might be able to confirm with the blood on his clothing.

"Yes." She told him. "He was very angry, but he tried to convince me to overturn my decision. He offered me money."

"He tried to bribe you?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"It happens more often than you'd think." She admitted. "I just refused, and told him that I'd already submitted my report. He got even angrier and started to get aggressive. I pulled my pepper spray on him, and told him to back off."

Underwood was starting to really get the picture that he was on the right path.

"He walked away, and I turned to my car." She told him. "I heard someone approaching, and turned around. I heard a loud noise...everything went dark after that. I can't remember..."

As she paused, Underwood shifted.

"What?" He asked her. "Please Ms. Hamilton, anything you can remember, no matter how small..."

"It was like things just flickered in and out." She told him. "I do remember someone kneeling over me though."

"You were found by a parking attendant..."

"No, not him." She told him. "The man wasn't wearing a uniform. He was wearing...white."

"What was he doing?" He asked her.

"He was saying something to me. He was holding my chest...I think he was trying to help me." She told him. "I'm sorry, that's all I know."

"Well, thank you for your time." Underwood replied, closing his notebook. "I'll let you rest now."

As he turned away, he saw some gifts and flowers by the door. He approached them and looked at them. There was a huge bouquet of flowers, a little fruit basket, and a stuffed bear together with a few cards.

"You know, I always say that you know how popular you are when you end up in hospital." He said with a smile. "All the little things people send you."

"I'm a bit of a wallflower really, most of it's probably from Ji and his friends." She admitted. "The office normally has a whip round when someone leaves or gets married or something."

He checked some of the cards on the gifts. The fruit basket was indeed signed by a number of people, presumably from her office. The bear was addressed from Ji.

His attention was drawn to the bouquet though. It was incredibly large, and very expensive. He checked the card, expecting it to be from Ji too, but he was surprised to see another name on it.

_The office isn't the same without you. Get well soon, Frasier._

He stopped for a second and turned back to Brenda.

"Sorry, I couldn't help looking." He told her. "I'll be going now. If you remember anything else, please call us."

As he made his way outside, finding Johnson on his third cigarette, he gestured to the car.

"OK, so when did I become your driver?" He asked.

"Start doing something else useful, and maybe I'll see you as a real detective." He stated. "Department of Health."

"What?" Johnson asked him. "Are we EVER going to interview Costaz?"

"It'll still take the lab time to confirm the blood stains on the clothing, I'd rather not interview Costaz without that result." He told him. "In the meantime, I want to talk to Superintendant Ramsay."

"Give me one good reason." Johnson snapped.

"Frasier Ramsay told us, just like the rest of her office, that he barely knew Brenda Hamilton outside of work. He told us she didn't socialise with anyone in the office." He told him.

"So?" Johnson asked him.

"So, her office did a whip around and got her a fifty dollar fruit basket." He continued.

"Alright, I have to ask again, so?" Johnson asked gruffly. "She was shot!"

"So, I want to know why after the office already gave her a present, he saw fit to send her a three hundred dollar bouquet of flowers." Underwood stated. "That sounds like a lot for someone who 'barely knows' her to spend on a gift don't you think?"

"Here we go again." Johnson grumbled as he got into the car and started up the engine.

Over at the Shiba House, Mentor Ji was quietly tending the bonsai. He had heard Jayden's plan to take the others out of the house, and he had thought it had some merit, but he had opted to stay behind. Serena had still not emerged from her room, and it was now well over 24 hours since anyone had seen her leave. The only reason he knew she was still there was because he had taken in some meals, most of which she had barely touched.

He was quickly becoming worried about her. She had completely withdrawn, and had barely spoken to anyone. He knew that the manner by which they had to remove Stephen after the event could only make things harder for her.

His phone rang, and he picked it up, answering it.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Is Serena there?" A voice on the other end asked. It was slightly nasally, and quite high. Ji sighed, he recognised it as Spike.

"I'm afraid she's unavailable." Ji told him.

"Oh." Spike answered. "Well, it was about tonight..."

"I am afraid she will be unable to take your lesson tonight." Ji told him. "She has personal business that demands her attention."

"Oh." Spike answered. "Well, is she OK?"

"It is a difficult time for her." Ji answered. "I am uncertain how long she will be unable to take your lessons."

"Well...is there anything we can do?" Spike asked him. Ji smiled. He didn't know Spike well, but from what little he did know, he knew him to be a kind hearted and well-meaning young man. He knew he was sincere.

"I am sure if you and your uncle just continue to train hard in her absence and practice what you already know, she will appreciate that." Ji told him. "I will tell her you were thinking about her."

"Alright, bye." Spike said quietly, hanging up. Ji put the phone back on the hook, at which he noticed Serena had left her room. She was wearing pale yellow pyjamas, with a kind of duck pattern on them. She still looked really pale, and her hair was unwashed and unkempt. He saw her and got up, making his way over.

"The others are not here right now." He told her.

"I know." She croaked out. "I heard them leave a little while ago."

He just nodded in response. He knew that she needed to talk to the others, to let them help her. They would only be able to deal with their loss if they supported each other, and so far Serena hadn't said a word to anyone. He knew she needed time to come to them, but he was also mindful that he couldn't leave it too long before they would need to intervene.

"That was Spike on the phone. He and his uncle were asking after you." Ji told her.

"He's a good kid." She replied, sitting on the couch. Ji could see that she was in a complete daze. She had cried, but she was now at a stage that she couldn't cry anymore. She didn't seem to know what to do, what to feel any more. He looked to her warmly.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked her. "Something to eat perhaps? Something to drink?"

"Can you get me Wednesday morning?" She asked him weakly, looking up to him. "Can you give me Stephen back?"

He just sat on the couch with her and held her as she leant on him. He wished he could do more, but this was a process Serena had to get through on her own.

At the school at the same time though, Spike was sitting with Vicky, Mal and Jimmy in the canteen. Spike had just hung up the phone when Melanie came over to him.

"Hey Spike, looking forward to tonight?" She asked. He just looked at her a little dazed. "Our date? Tonight?"

Spike had almost forgotten about the date. It was the reason he had phoned in the first place, he wanted to let Serena know he would be missing their lesson. He just shook his head clear.

"Sorry, it's just...it's my sensei." He told her.

"Your sensei?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah, I just found out she's taking some personal time. She's not going to be taking lessons for the foreseeable future."

"Really? Is she alright?" Vicky asked him. He just shook his head.

"I don't know, they wouldn't say." He replied. "It has to be pretty bad if she's cancelling lessons. She's never done that before."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be alright." Melanie stated. "Besides, it just means you can come and collect me early tonight. I know this..."

"Melanie, will you give it a rest?" Vicky snapped at her, before turning her attention back to Spike. Although she hated Melanie, she was more concerned with Spike, he knew how much he liked Serena.

"Come on, she's just his teacher." Melanie replied. "It's not like..."

"She's a little more than that." Spike told her. "She's a friend. If there's something I can do, I really want to know."

"I'm sure she can look after herself." Melanie reiterated. "Besides, if she wanted anything, I'm sure she'd ask."

"Some people aren't as direct as that." Vicky muttered under her breath. Spike just looked to Melanie and sighed, taking out the tickets to the musical he had bought for her.

"Look, I'm really not going to be great company tonight." He told her, handing over the tickets. "Can you just take a friend or something?"

"You're standing me up?" Melanie asked, a little taken aback. Spike just furrowed his brows.

"Melanie, it isn't like that." He told her. "Would you just...I really need to be by myself tonight."

"Well are you at least coming to the party tomorrow?" She asked, a little ratty at the thought of being stood up, never mind possibly twice in one week.

"I guess so." Spike said with a shrug. "I'll meet you there."

Melanie took the tickets and went to a group of cheerleaders, trying to find someone to give the second ticket to, leaving Spike at the table. He just shook his head.

"Dude, you seriously just stood up Melanie?" Mal asked him in disbelief. Spike just groaned.

"Look, I don't feel like going out tonight." He told them. "Maybe I'll just have an early night, so I'm ready for tomorrow."

"Well, if I were you I'd be ready to do some grovelling." Jimmy told him. "Melanie didn't look too happy."

As Spike left the table with the boys, Vicky held back, a little bit of a smile crossing her face. She didn't like to hear that Spike's friend was having troubles, and she wanted Spike to feel better, but she couldn't help smirking. Melanie's mask had slipped a little, and she had shown something of her true colours. She didn't care how Spike felt, all she was worried about was the fact he stood her up. Even Spike seemed to be put out by her selfish outburst, even if he didn't really press the matter. She had been worried for a while how she would let Spike know what she was like before she broke his heart, but now the thought occurred to her, maybe she didn't need to do much. Maybe Melanie would show him all by herself.


	12. Costaz's Statement

Over at the stream, things were a little more jovial than they had been at the Shiba House, but it wasn't like anyone was jumping for joy. Just getting away from the house had alleviated some of the tension, but there was still a rather staid atmosphere.

Antonio cast another line into the stream, at which Kevin just shoved his shoulder.

"I thought you were some kind of master fisherman." He stated.

"I'm sorry?" Antonio asked.

"We've been out here for hours, and none of us have even had a bite." He replied teasingly.

"To be fair, it wasn't too long ago he was almost eaten by the neighbourhood stray cat." Antonio reminded him. "Thanks again for closing the door properly guys!"

"It wasn't our fault." Emily stated. "We were taking care of everything while you guys were all...you know...inanimate."

"Well, it seems you're getting over your fear anyway." Jayden complimented Antonio. The two of them had been fishing a couple of times, and while he wasn't quite back to his usual level of productivity, Antonio was getting used to it again.

"It'll be a long time before I'm diving with sharks or anything like that." Antonio said with a cheeky smirk. "But, I think I'm getting there."

As Jayden turned his attention back to his rod, Antonio bit his lip and leaned closer. He put his hand near Jayden's opposite shoulder, and started to walk his fingers along it. Jayden jumped with a start, shaking his shoulders and shirt frantically, letting out a shriek. Everyone looked to Antonio, who just shrugged.

"Sorry man, I couldn't resist." He stated as they all just looked at him. It seemed to take a while, but eventually, Mike started laughing. The others followed suit soon afterwards. Jayden had revealed his arachnophobia to them when they were trying to get Antonio through his fear. Eventually Jayden joined in.

"Hey, hey, what about Emily?" Mike asked, holding his hands up and twitching his nose, emulating a rat. "Squeak, squeak!"

They all laughed as Emily just crossed her arms in front of her.

"They gross me out alright?" She said defiantly. Mia reached across, stroking her shoulders.

"Aw...but they're so cute the way they twitch their little..."

"Ribbet!" Emily replied. The group kept on laughing. By now, all thoughts of fish were pretty far from their minds.

"Well...at least I'm not afraid of the dark!" Mia called out, pointing to Mike. He just sniggered.

"Hey, the dark I can deal with. It's being shut in." He clarified. "I mean, if I know there's a way out I'm fine, it's when I can't get out I freak."

As they continued to laugh, Antonio noticed a tug on his line. He went to his rod to start working to reel in his catch.

"You know...one thought does occur to me." Jayden said with a slightly evil smirk. "The whole immersion therapy idea was all Kevin's idea."

"Yeah, that's right." Emily agreed, rounding on the Blue Ranger. "And unless I'm very much mistaken..."

"You seemed to escape that little exercise." Mike said as a wicked grin crossed his face. The three of them started closing in on Kevin as he started to back away, his hands held up defensively.

"Well, I don't really have anything to work through." He told them. "I mean...I was a little scared to go in the pool for a while after I almost drowned, but I was only five. I worked through it then."

"Really?" Jayden asked. Mia was busy working on a symbol behind Kevin's back, turning away from them.

"I guess...I'm just fearless." He told them.

"Oh really?" Mia asked, tapping his shoulder. As Kevin turned around, he saw her wearing heavy clown make-up, with a large red nose, and a wig. He let out a huge screech and backed off so quickly, he tripped over his own feet and ended up on the ground.

By now, everyone was in stitches. They couldn't remember the last time they laughed so hard. Eventually though, as they looked at each other, the laughter died down, and seemed to end as abruptly as it had begun. Mia's make-up disappeared, and they just stood, shifting uneasily. A new feeling started to wash over them, guilt. Somehow, it just seemed wrong to laugh. It felt like they were making fun of Stephen, like his death didn't mean anything.

"I got it, I got it!" Antonio called out as he took a fish off his line. Jayden and the others watched as he did something he had done a thousand times before without thinking. Taking the fish by the tail, he swung it, striking its head against the bank, killing it. All of them just paused, unable to say anything.

Eventually, Mike noticed Emily's eyes beginning to tear up. He reached out for her.

"Emily...Emily!" He called out as she turned tail and ran as quickly as she could back to the Shiba House. He turned to Jayden and snorted in disgust. "Nice job Jayden, real nice!"

As he ran off after her, Kevin came to Jayden's side and patted his shoulder. He knew he hadn't meant to upset the others, he had only meant to take their minds off things for a little while. For the most part it had worked, but it was still a little soon.

"Come on." Kevin whispered. "We'll help you clear up." Jayden just nodded as they went to retract their lines and gather up their things to head home.

In another part of town, Underwood and Johnson arrived at the Department of Health, cruising up to the reception desk. The receptionist, Erica Stewart, was sitting at her desk, typing away on her computer as they arrived.

"Miss Stewart, Detectives Underwood and Johnson." He re-introduced himself. "Could you buzz Superintendant Ramsay please?"

"Uh...I...uh...think he's in an appointment." She told them. "If you'd like..."

"He'll re-schedule." Johnson put down in his usual diplomatic tone as they made their way towards Ramsay's office. Underwood opened the door, finding him with a couple, discussing something.

"Frasier Ramsay, Detective Un..."

"I remember." He sighed. "Can you wait outside for five minutes?"

"No, we can't." Johnson stated, gesturing to the couple, and then to the door. "He'll call you back."

"I'm sorry, please just wait, my receptionist will make you coffee." He told them as the couple left. Underwood sat down.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Underwood stated.

"I doubt that." Ramsay said, a little ratty about the meeting being interrupted. "What is it?"

"So much for wanting to help." Johnson said sarcastically. Underwood just shot him a glance.

"Your relationship with Miss Hamilton, you said that you were only acquaintances?" Underwood asked.

"Well...I guess I have known her a while." Ramsay conceded. "I wouldn't say we were friends, but..."

"Indeed, I believe you said that you barely know her." Underwood interrupted her. "You said she doesn't socialise in the workplace, that you hardly know anything about her."

"Yeah?" He said.

"So, one thing troubles me." Underwood told him. "The office had a whip around didn't they?"

"Yes, they did." Ramsay replied, shifting uneasily in his chair. "We usually do when someone's sick or hurt. I believe we sent her a card and a fruit basket, you'd have to ask Erica."

"Your receptionist?" Johnson replied.

"She usually handles stuff like that." Ramsay replied. "Why?"

"Because I was just at the hospital." Underwood told him. "We found a few gifts among them, one of which was a bouquet that had to cost about three hundred dollars addressed from you!"

"I guess I normally put more into these things than..."

"No, it was addressed specifically from YOU!" Underwood reiterated. "Not from the office, but from you. Now, that's a pretty extravagant gift for someone you barely know."

"Alright, alright." Ramsay groaned, cradling his head in his hands. He looked up to them reluctantly. "I admit, I have...I've been carrying a torch for her alright?"

"That's understandable." Johnson stated. "She's a pretty lady."

"It's more than that, she's funny, she's smart, classy, elegant, kind...I...I liked her from the moment we met."

"Does she know how you feel?" Underwood asked him. "We can always ask her."

"Unfortunately, yes." He sighed. "A few months back, we had an office party. I hit the champagne a little too hard...Dutch courage I guess...and I told her that I was crazy about her."

"I take it she wasn't exactly bowled over by the idea." Johnson surmised. Ramsay just gestured to himself.

"Please, look at me." He replied. "Do you really think this is what women want? She was nice about it and everything...incredibly nice. She didn't tell anyone, she let me down gently...she did everything to make it easy for me, but she made it pretty clear that it wasn't going to happen."

"You know, a lot of guys don't like being told no." Johnson suggested. "They especially don't like it when they insist on bringing their new, hot, muscular boyfriends around the office. Indeed, some guys get pretty..."

"If you want to make any accusations, I suggest you stop right there and wait until I call my lawyer!" Ramsay warned him. "I don't care what this looks like, but I'd never do anything to hurt Brenda. If I'd been in that parking lot, I'd probably have taken that bullet for her!"

"Um...Mr. Ramsay?" Erica interrupted, causing them all to look round with a start. "They just left. I just re-scheduled them for Monday at Eleven."

"Thanks Erica." He replied. As she left, Underwood looked back to Ramsay.

"One more thing." He told him. "I'd like you to sign your name for me."

"Excuse me?" Ramsay asked him.

"Just do it." Johnson replied, sliding him a notepad and a pen. Ramsay picked up the pen in his right hand, and scrawled his signature, sliding it back to them. Underwood picked it up.

"It's just a handwriting analysis." Underwood told him. "Thank you."

As they left, Johnson just nudged him.

"So, what was that really about?" He asked him.

"It's just a hunch." Underwood assured him. "I'll tell you if it plays out."

Back at the Shiba House, Mike arrived, finding Emily sitting in the garden, holding her flute in her hands. Normally, she would play when she was feeling down, but right now, she was so upset that she couldn't even concentrate on playing. Mike came over to her, sitting down with her.

"I'm being stupid I know." She muttered. "It was just a fish."

"Emily..."

"I know I grew up on a farm, but dad was always really protective of me. He didn't like me seeing stuff like that." She told him. "Our dog Duke got rabies and dad had to shoot him. He made me and Serena stay in our room while he did it."

"Emily, what are you talking about?" Mike asked her.

"He didn't even let me come to the barn when he had to wring the chicken's necks." She told him, sniffing back some tears, before looking to Mike. "I've stepped on bugs like anyone else, but..."

"Stephen." Mike sighed. "That was the first time you've seen anyone die." She just nodded.

"I've never seen anything die in front of me like that." Emily told him. "I've always been raised to believe that life is precious, that it's some huge, powerful, amazing thing."

"It is Emily." Mike assured her.

"But when I saw Stephen..." She tailed off as Mike held her closely. He just comforted her. "It was so...so..."

"It seemed so wrong." Mike agreed. "To take a life...it seemed far too easy."

"Do you think it hurt?" She asked him. Mike looked to her. She already knew the answer. She had learned many of the same techniques he had. While neither of them would ever use such things, he already knew the physiology behind what had happened.

"No." He assured her, cradling her closely. "It would have been quick. He'd barely have felt a thing."

Just then, they both looked up, seeing Serena standing before them. She couldn't say anything, but seeing her sister, she just opened her arms. Emily went to her, followed by Mike, and they both just held her as she wept.

Over at the station, Costaz was sitting in an interview room, waiting for the detectives to arrive. Underwood came in, with Johnson not far behind, and took a seat, slamming a pad down on the desk.

"This interview's being recorded, you understand that don't you?" Underwood began. Johnson just stood in the corner, glaring at Costaz. The suspect just nodded.

"Yeah, I got it." He replied.

"Well, things aren't looking good Marcus." He told him. "We know you owned a weapon the same type as the one used, we have motive, and we have opportunity."

"Look, I didn't..."

"You don't realise how deep you're in the shit Marcus!" He snapped.

"Really, you don't think I know how deep I'm in?" Marcus asked him. "Why the hell do you think I ran?"

"Because you know we're going to put you away." Johnson sneered. "The guilty run, that's a fact!"

"Look, I admit that I didn't like her, I even admit that I had an argument with her, but that's it I swear!" He screamed.

"Well you better give us something better than 'I didn't do it' or I'm going to write you up right now!" Underwood warned him. "Now, tell us about your argument with Miss Hamilton!"

"Alright, I had an argument with her in the office, that much you already know." Marcus reiterated. "I...I offered her an envelope."

"You offered to bribe her?" Underwood asked for clarification.

"Yes, I offered to bribe her." Costaz admitted. "She wasn't having any of it though, and then that big guy showed up. I figured she wouldn't listen with so many people around, so I left."

"You just left?" Underwood asked him. He shook his head.

"I waited in the parking lot until she finished her shift." He told them. "I approached her, and talked to her again, hoping that if there weren't any witnesses that she might be more open to the idea. You guys are government employees; you know what the wages must be like."

"Careful." Johnson warned him. "You want us on your side remember?"

"Well, she still wasn't having any of it." Marcus told them. "I was getting angry..."

"So angry you shot her?" Johnson asked her.

"No, absolutely not!" Marcus told him. "I'm sure by now, you've pulled my record. I've got an anger problem. I tried to intimidate her into taking the envelope, so she pulled her pepper spray. When I saw that, and all I could think about was ripping her head off...I knew I was getting close to the edge. So, I walked away."

"You...walked away?" Johnson asked him. "You expect us to believe that?"

"I'm telling you, it took everything I had!" Costaz screamed. "I used everything I learned, but I didn't do anything to her."

"Really, you didn't attack her?" Underwood asked.

"How many times do I have to say it, no, I didn't!" Costaz told them.

"So, why don't you tell me this then?" Underwood continued, putting a bag, containing a blood-stained shirt on the desk. "We found this in your apartment. The lab confirms the blood type matches Brenda Hamilton's!"

"Of course it will, it's hers!" Costaz snapped. Underwood and Johnson just looked at each other, then back at him.

"So, you...?"

"As I was leaving, I heard a shot." Costaz told them. "I heard a couple more, and started to run back."

"You ran towards someone who was armed?" Underwood asked.

"I had my gun!" Costaz told them. "At least...I thought I did."

"Alright, now I'm lost." Johnson groaned, stroking the bridge of his nose. "Did you have the gun or not?"

"It was in my jacket pocket when I left the house, but as I ran towards the shots, I couldn't find it." He told them. "When I got back, I could see her lying there, but there was no sign of anyone nearby, so I ran over to her to see if I could do anything to help. I tried to keep her from bleeding, but when I heard a guard coming, I just looked down and saw blood. I knew what it would look like, so I ran!"

"Do you really expect us to buy this bullshit?" Johnson asked him.

"I swear to God, I didn't do it!" He screamed.

"Well, if you didn't, then what you did do is leave her to bleed to death!" Underwood warned him. "When do you think your gun went missing?"

"I don't know, it could have been any time after I left the apartment!" He told them. "Please, you have to believe me!"

"Can you just answer one more question for me?" Underwood asked him. "Are you right or left-handed?"

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"Just answer the question smart guy!" Johnson said sternly.

"I'm right-handed." He replied. Underwood shut his notebook and stood up, before heading for the door.

"Wait, is that it?" He asked. "Can I go?"

"You can go when we say you can go and no sooner!" Underwood told him. "Officer, take him back to a cell!"

As he got outside, and started heading down the hall, he shoved the notebook away.

"Can you believe that shit?" Johnson asked him. "Come on, let's..."

"I don't think it's him." Underwood interrupted him.

"Come on, are you serious?" He asked. "You buy the whole 'I lost my gun' bullshit?"

"Costaz is a moron, that much we already know!" He called out. "I can easily believe he was stupid enough to panic when he knew that someone else had shot her and realise he had to be the prime suspect, especially if his gun had gone missing."

"So tell me what Mystic Mike, tell me exactly what convinced you that he's telling the truth?" Johnson asked him. Underwood pushed him against a wall, before holding his right hand in a gun shape.

"He threw bottles at me with his right hand. He said he was right handed." Underwood told him. "Brenda Hamilton was shot face-to-face."

As he levelled his hand at Johnson's chest, he pressed his fingers into his ribs...the LEFT side of his ribs.

"The shooter was left-handed." Underwood told him, before walking away.


	13. The Shakedown

Underwood and Johnson arrived at the chief's office, preparing to report in. The chief appeared to be getting a rather less than friendly phone call as they arrived.

"Yes your honour, I'll have a word." He concluded. "Yes, I understand how serious this is. Thank you your honour."

As he hung up, he gestured to the chairs in front of his desk.

"Just the men I'd like to see." He commented. "Perhaps you'd like to explain why I just spent the last twenty minutes getting torn a new asshole by the mayor because one of his leading health inspectors was just accosted by you two!"

"I had reason to believe..."

"Frasier Ramsay is a highly respected member of the council!" The Chief told him. "You can't just accuse him...!"

"I didn't accuse him of anything!" Underwood told him. "But I do plan on going back."

"Look, I've read the case notes." The Chief told him. "Costaz..."

"Costaz is an idiot!" Underwood blurted out. "That isn't against the law. He may be guilty of a lot of things, but I don't believe he's guilty of shooting Brenda Hamilton."

"Well, you have a hell of a lot pointing that way." The Chief told him. "Now, if you can give me something, maybe I'll think about it. Other than that, just throw the book..."

"I think I know who did it!" Underwood interrupted him.

"Do you have proof?" The Chief asked him.

"I think I can get it." Underwood told him. "I just need a little time, and a few things."

"What do you need?" The chief groaned. Underwood just smiled, before sliding him a piece of paper.

"You're not serious are you?" He asked.

"It's a long shot." Underwood told him. "All I need is for my partner to be a bit of a dick."

"I think I can manage that." Johnson replied with a little bit of a chuckle.

"I'll have what you need in thirty minutes." The chief sighed, before pointing to Underwood. "It's your ass on the line if this doesn't work."

"I understand sir." Underwood replied as they left.

Jayden and the others arrived back, finding Emily, Mike and Serena sitting on the couch. They came together, looking to Serena. She just looked back around them, wanting to leave, but at the same time, not wanting to. Emily was with her, she had her family around her, and somehow that made the pain a lot easier. She just remained where she is, budging up as Mia sat down too.

"Serena." Emily told her soothingly. "We're all here. We can do anything..."

"I'm...I'm hungry." She managed to say. Jayden looked around, and checked his watch. It was indeed coming close to dinner time. Despite the fact they had been fishing all day, they had only really managed to catch one fish.

"I'll call something in." He told them. "How's everyone with Mexican?"

They all just quietly nodded. None of them really cared, the only thing they cared about really was that Serena was finally out of her room. He went to make the call.

"I'm sorry guys." Serena told them. "I..."

"Serena, none of us can begin to imagine what you're going through." Mia told her. "What we can do is be here for you."

"Thank you." She replied. Jayden came back into the room, hanging up the phone.

"It'll be a little while." He told her. There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Eventually, Antonio said something.

"You know, we learned something today." He told her. "You'll never guess what Kevin's scared of."

Emily leaned over and whispered in her ear. Serena, for the first time in what seemed like years, felt herself smiling.

"Clowns?" She asked him. "You're afraid of clowns?"

Ji watched them talking, and smiled. He knew it would be a long time before they could expect a complete turn-around, but at the moment, at least they seemed to be relying on each other as a family once more. He heard a knock on the back door, and opened it, seeing a young boy, around 13 years old there.

"Cody?" He asked. The boy handed him a coffee can.

"Dad says don't drink it." Cody told him. Ji just handed him a couple of dollars for his effort and sent him on his way. He opened the can and looked inside, confirming what he already knew. It was most definitely NOT coffee.

Looking back to the main room, he decided that news of the delivery could wait until tomorrow. Right now, the house had happy chatter in it again. There was no reason to take that away right now.

Over at the Department of Health, Underwood and Johnson arrived with some officers. Before heading through the door into the main area, Underwood stopped Johnson.

"This theory of mine is pretty thin, we pretty much need a confession." Underwood told him. "Think you're up to a little rousting?"

"You need a dick to pull this off." Johnson smiled. "I can be the biggest dick on the planet."

"I thought you'd say that." He replied. With that, they burst in. The office doors opened, and everyone came out to see what the commotion was as the cops arrived. Ramsay looked livid as he came out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there's no cause for alarm, we're the police." Underwood told them.

"I thought you'd..."

"We are investigating the shooting of Brenda Hamilton, and we just need to run a simple test for the process of elimination." He told them, ignoring Ramsay as he protested. He pulled out a little wand and turned it on. "This is a black light. It will show up any traces of gunfire residue..."

"I demand...!"

"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about, we just need to eliminate you all from our enquiries." Underwood stated. He then turned to Ramsay. "If you'd hold out your hands please sir?"

"This is outrageous!" He screamed. "I've never fired...!"

"Then you won't object will you?" Johnson asked, stepping in. "Give us your hands or we'll make you!"

"No, you can't do this!" Erica screamed as she leapt in between them. "Sir, they need a warrant..."

"We can get it sweetheart, the DA and I are like that." Johnson said, crossing his fingers. Underwood had to stop himself from smiling. Johnson was playing his part perfectly.

"Sir, it is your right to refuse, but we can get a warrant." Underwood warned him. "And I have to tell you, that gunshot residue will remain on the hands for anything up to a week, even if you wash...!"

Before he finished, Erica started sprinting towards the stairs, kicking off her heels as she went.

"Stop her!" Underwood called out, at which a couple of officers trained guns on her. She stopped in her tracks, holding her hands up. Underwood approached her slowly, taking one of her hands and running the black light over it. Just as he suspected, it showed a few bright specs.

"Underwood?" Johnson asked as he got to her desk. He tipped up her bag onto the desk, emptying out the contents. A nickel-plated Hardballer fell out with a loud thunk onto the desk. Johnson picked it up by sliding a pen through the finger guard and held it up. "How much do you want to bet this matches ballistics?"

"Erica?" Frasier gasped, seeing his secretary breaking down in tears as they cuffed her. "But...why?"

"Because she didn't deserve you!" She screamed at him.

"I suggest that if you have anything else to say, you wait until you have an attorney present." Underwood told her. "Erica Stewart, I am arresting you on suspicion of the attempted murder of Brenda Hamilton. You have the right to remain silent, but anything you do say may be taken in evidence. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"

"I understand them." Erica snarled as she was taken away. Underwood smiled as they did so. Johnson bagged up the gun and handed it to a patrolman as they walked away. He looked to Underwood curiously.

"So...how did you figure that one?" He asked.

"Now you want advice?" Underwood asked sarcastically. Johnson just grabbed him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Seriously, that woman's a wallflower. I'd never have picked her in a thousand years!" He admitted. "So what was it?"

"I figured the boss's crush had to play a part." Underwood told him. "Then, I got to thinking. We didn't hear her when she came into the room. He barely noticed her at all, and he was looking right at her, so obviously, she's often around and has heard a lot. She also seemed very defensive around her boss. So, I wondered why."

"But seriously, the shooting thing?" Johnson asked him. "How'd you get that one?" Underwood just smiled.

"I noticed that she wore her watch on her right hand." Underwood told him. "Like a lot of left-handed people."

"That's it?" He asked. Underwood just shrugged.

"I told you it was weak." He replied. "Now, we have a gun, and evidence she used it. A confession would seal the deal."

Johnson just shook his head in disbelief as Underwood walked away.

"And you called me out on a weak hunch?" He asked.

"There's a difference between us." Underwood called back. "I found evidence to make it stick!"


	14. Serrator's Next Move

At the police station, Underwood stepped out of the interrogation room, carrying a signed statement. He found Johnson and the chief waiting for him.

"Well?" The chief asked him. "Did you get anything?"

"It was more a case of getting her to shut up to be honest sir." Underwood told him. "She confessed to everything. Apparently she's had a thing for Ramsay for years, but he doesn't notice her."

"I can vouch for that." Johnson stated. "We barely noticed when she was in the room. She has to have seen and heard everything that went on in that office."

"It seems she took it personally when Ramsay showed an interest in Hamilton and not her." Underwood told him. "When Costaz came into the office, yelling his head off, he threw his jacket on her desk. She saw the gun, and knowing that people would likely suspect him she took it."

"So she shot Hamilton because her boss likes her, even though she clearly doesn't like him?" The Chief asked.

"If anything that just made it worse." Underwood told her. "Stewart said that she hated Hamilton for breaking his heart and wanted her to pay."

"Well, we have a gun, a motive and a confession." The Chief of Police said with an impressed look on his face. "You had an easy collar with Costaz, but you went with the riskier option and it paid off."

"So what about Costaz?" Johnson asked.

"If we really want to pursue a case against him, I guess there's failing to report a crime, tampering with evidence, hindering a police investigation and wasting police time." Underwood said with a shrug. "Those charges would probably lead to a sentence."

"Well, I'll get some of my other officers to deal with that." The Chief told him. "I wouldn't want my best detective wasting his time on something like that now would I? Nice work on this Underwood. Feel free to go and give the good news to Ms. Hamilton."

"I will sir." He replied. "Thank you."

In the Netherworld, Serrator was sitting with Xandred, still basking in the success of his scheme. He could feel the anguish he had caused the Rangers. Taking the life of their friend, he was sure that their resolve was shaken. He was sure that by now, anything he did would likely cause them to crumble further into hopelessness. He had already shown his superiority, almost defeating them once, when they were at full strength. Now though, they would be weakened by their sorrow.

"Well Serrator, your scheme has caused the Rangers significant pain. The tears of that Earth girl alone has to have raised the river." Octoroo stated. "It almost makes me wonder if you've exhausted your ideas."

"Hardly." Serrator sneered. "I have much more in mind than taking the boy from them. I took their future toys from them, now I plan to use one of their old toys against them."

"What?" Xandred asked him.

"Surely you can't have forgotten the chaos the Bull Zord caused the last time it roamed the land?" Serrator asked them.

"Of course not. Its rampage caused the Sanzu to rise considerably." Xandred recalled. "What of it? It has been sealed away for centuries. Hirohito's accursed grandson saw to that."

"What if I told you that I had tracked its location and knew where it is?" Serrator asked him. "Not only that, but I know how to unleash it upon the land once more."

"I find that doubtful." Octoroo told him. "If the Bull Zord even still exists, doubtless it is sealed with symbol power far beyond even your capability to break."

"Octoroo, you really aren't very creative are you?" He asked in a casual drawl, looking at him dismissively. "Why break something when you can simply have someone...unlock it for you?"

"Stop speaking in riddles, you're giving me a headache!" Xandred snapped. "If you're going to do something, just go ahead and do it. Take Crustor with you just in case."

"I will not need him." Serrator told him. "However, never let it be said I don't mind sharing the misery of my enemies."

"Not to mention it'll give you another Nighlock to throw in the path of the Rangers if they fight back." Octoroo answered sarcastically. Serrator just grinned.

"Well, that is an advantage too." He replied as he made his way off the ship.

Ji arrived at the hospital, carrying a bonsai with him. He knew that Brenda had always admired the bonsai he kept in the house, and he was sure she would appreciate the gift. He arrived, finding her sitting on the bed, talking with Detective Underwood.

"You'll be contacted when the court date is set." He told her. "Until then, I wish you a speedy recovery."

"Thank you detective." She answered, seeing Ji standing in the doorway. She smiled as she saw him and waved him in.

"Have they caught your attacker?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"Yeah, they have." She replied as he set the bonsai down on her bedside table. "Is that for me?"

"No, I felt like taking it for a walk." He teased her. Brenda just frowned at him. "At least you appear to be feeling better."

"They've been taking really good care of me." She told him. "They think I could be out of here in a couple of days."

Ji just took a seat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand gently.

"Brenda, there's something you need to know." He began. He looked around to make sure no one was listening, before leaning in closer. "The night you were kidnapped, Stephen was killed."

"Oh my God." She gasped. "Is Serena...?"

"Serena is coping as well as we can hope under the circumstances." He interrupted her. "No one else knows about what happened. It would raise too many questions, so...we've...taken care of him."

"The poor thing!" Brenda gasped. "She must be devastated!"

"It is a hard time for her." Ji told her. "I have received Stephen's remains. In time, I will allow them to lay him to rest in their own way."

He paused, squeezing her hand a little. He needed to steady himself for what he was about to say next.

"Brenda...I fear that for your safety..."

"Ji, please don't do this." She begged him. He just shook his head.

"If you remain with me, then your life will be in danger." He told her. "The security symbols around the room will keep you safe from Nighlock until you go home, the ones I placed on the apartment will keep the Nighlock out of your home."

"Ji, just stop!" She snapped at him. Her eyes were beginning to tear up. "I don't want to lose you."

"I fear that choice has been taken from our hands." Ji told her. "This..."

"Bullshit Ji!" She barked angrily. She grabbed her side as she aggravated her injuries, but looked to him angrily. "The only people that can decide if this is worth it are you and me."

"Brenda, I love you dearly." He told her. "That is why I cannot bear to see you in danger."

"I'm in danger anyway!" She protested. "The Nighlock are going to keep coming if we're together or not!"

"But..."

"In case you forgot, it wasn't a Nighlock that put me in here; it was a psychotic secretary with a gun!" She put down flatly. "Unless your King Xander..."

"Master Xandred." Ji corrected her.

"Whatever!" She groaned. "Unless he's started arming his henchmen with Hardballers, I sincerely doubt this is going to happen again because of him."

"Brenda..."

"What happened to Stephen is tragic. I feel for Serena, seriously I do." She told him. "But this life is way too short to not take chances! I've already lost a lung because of this, I'm damned if I'm losing you too!"

"Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?" He asked her. Brenda just smiled.

"Not today you haven't." She replied. "Now, I kind of have injuries here, so you're going to have to come to me for a kiss."

"If that is what my lady commands, who am I to argue?" He asked her, moving closer and pressing his lips to hers. He loved her, and he had come with every intention of leaving her, to protect her, but one of the things he loved about her was her strength. She wouldn't let him go, even if he wanted to.

In another part of town, a young boy made his way deep into the woods, coming to a cave far from prying eyes. He made his way inside, coming to the statue inside.

Cody's family had been responsible for guarding the prison of the Bull Zord for generations. He had been raised on the stories by his father ever since he was born. A little before his last birthday though, he started hearing it call to him. He had only spoken briefly with his family about it, but his dad had made it very clear to him that he was to put the Bull Zord's calls out of his mind and told him never to bring it up again.

However, the calling kept coming to him. He didn't have any friends at school really. He was never in any of the movements. Whether it was the football kids, or the guy that everyone kept talking about because he beat up some guy on YouTube, nobody really knew Cody well enough to really talk to him, or to care. The Bull Zord did though.

As he sat by the foot of the statue to meditate, as he had done many times, he heard it again, calling to him. He felt a kinship with the Bull Zord. Just like him, it was misunderstood, isolated, lonely. He had heard all the legends about it, and knew about its destructive past. In ancient times, the Grand Shogun, an ancestor of the current Red Ranger, the grandson of Hirohito, the first Red Samurai had sealed it away to protect his people.

The ancient Samurai had attained a level of symbol power far beyond what anyone thought was possible, and were capable of nigh near miraculous feats, utilising their symbol energy to assist the land and bring around a new age of prosperity. It was when they sought to create new weaponry though that things went wrong. They had conceived of the idea of using their symbol power to create powerful creatures to help them, the very same creatures that became the modern Zords. Unfortunately, their first attempt, the Bull Zord, had come close to bringing them to disaster.

They had chosen the bull because it was considered one of the most powerful animals there was. They had imbued the essence and strength of the bull into the construct created by their weapons smiths in an attempt to create a weapon that would destroy the Nighlock once and for all. Unfortunately, it took the temperament of the bull too. It did not like to be restrained, to be commanded and corralled. It wanted to run free.

Cody had heard it calling to him, and had made the connection. He knew that it didn't want to harm anyone, it didn't have any desire to cause destruction, it just happened that way. He was sure that now it had been imprisoned so long, it could be reasoned with. It could be tamed, and would be an asset to the Rangers, not a burden to be passed from generation to generation of his family.

"I'll get you out Bull Zord." He told it. "You'll be free again."

"That would be a very good thing." Serrator stated, announcing his arrival. Cody jumped with a start, and started to scramble away from him.

"You...you...you're Serrator!" Cody stammered. "You're the one who killed the Rangers' ally!"

"I see my reputation precedes me." Serrator said with a dismissive chuckle. "If you know me, then you know what I am capable of."

"You'll get nothing from me!" Cody said defiantly, trembling in fear as he used the wall of the cave to get him to his feet. "I swear, you won't!"

"You have it all wrong young guardian." He replied, producing a power disk. "I want to help you."

"The Bull Disk?" Cody gasped. When the Grand Shogun had sealed the Bull Zord away in the mountain, he had entrusted Cody's family to guard it for all time. He had, however, taken one last precaution. He had cast its power disk into the deepest part of the sea with the intention that it would never be found. It hadn't been seen since that day hundreds of years ago. At least, not until today. Serrator had obviously recovered it.

"I want the Bull Zord released." He told Cody. "I want it to run rampant!"

"What makes you think I'll do anything you want?" Cody asked him. Serrator just started to approach him.

"Who says you'll have a choice?" Serrator asked him, casting a beam of purple energy his way. Cody could feel his will leaving him, being replaced by Serrator's. He was like a mere passenger in his own body, watching, but unable to do anything. Serrator pointed to the door.

"Go." He told him. "Go and tell the Rangers that I will send a Nighlock into the city in one hour from now. When they go to confront it, take one of the ancient morphers, and return here. I will be waiting."


	15. Cody's Purpose

For the first time in what seemed like ages, the Rangers were actually having a second training session in the day. Jayden and Ji had been going easy on them because of what happened to Stephen, but they knew that they would have to get back to pushing the Rangers to full speed again quickly, farm more quickly than they really wanted to. While they wanted to be kind and compassionate, they were certain Xandred would not be so kind.

Jayden found himself borne to the ground by Mike, landing with a painful thud that knocked the wind out of him. Although he had been trained since he could walk, even he was occasionally surprised by Mike's gift for unarmed combat. He might have been behind the others in the use of a sword, and in symbol power, but he was always ahead of the game in hand-to-hand. Jayden tapped quickly as Mike locked in a choke hold. Although he was good, Jayden was good enough to know when he was beaten. By the time he fought out of it, he wouldn't have the strength to continue, and so he knew continuing would be pointless.

As Mike let him up, they heard clapping. All of the Rangers just looked across to a young boy, who seemed to be in his early teens, just sitting on a stone bench.

"Nice takedown." He complimented Mike. "The choke was good too."

"Thanks." Mike replied. "Um...not to be rude or anything kid, but...who are you?"

"My name's Cody." He told them, standing up. He looked to Jayden, offering his hand. "My dad's the current guardian of the Bull Zord. You're the Red Ranger aren't you?"

"The Bull Zord?" Kevin asked. Emily and Mike just looked at him, a little confused. "What? Don't you two EVER read about our history?"

"I'm kind of an 'in-the-moment' guy." Mike told him. "So, you know who we are?"

"Yeah, I do." Cody replied. "I've come with a message. Serrator..."

As soon as he said the name, there was a noticeable shift in the Rangers' mood. It had been less than a week, but the last time the Rangers had faced Serrator, things had not gone well. The last time they faced him was the night that Stephen had been killed. Serena, who was doing her own workout was also over like a shot, listening.

"You've spoken to Serrator?" Kevin asked him. Cody just nodded.

"He said he wanted me to deliver a message." Cody informed them. "He's sending a Nighlock into the city."

Just then, the Gap Sensor sounded. They all rushed inside, at which Jayden activated the map, finding a signal in the city from the sensor that had been triggered.

"Well, there's one thing to be said for Serrator." Mike muttered. "He doesn't mess around waiting."

"Alright guys." Jayden sighed, looking to them. He didn't want to say anything to discourage them, morale was already at a bit of a low point in the Shiba House, the last thing he needed to do was make matters any worse. "We know what we need to do. This is no different than any other Nighlock. Come on."

With that, they all sprinted for the door. Jayden just hopped to a halt on one foot, turning to Cody.

"Um...help yourself to ice cream, and the TV's right there." He told him, thinking that Cody could probably do with some form of reward considering the fact he had faced down Serrator and walked away with his life to deliver a message. Cody just nodded, at which Jayden left.

Serena just watched as Cody left the room though. She couldn't place her finger on it, but something just didn't seem right with the young boy. He had been sent to deliver a message, but with the gap sensor active, it was a moot point. The Rangers would have heard about the Nighlock anyway, so why was he there. She followed him as he headed down the hall, and watched as he headed, not into the kitchen, but into Ji's study.

She went to the door, and paused as she kept an eye on him, pulling into cover so he wouldn't see her. She watched as he started to work on Ji's safe, wondering what he was up to. She was almost about to intervene when he pulled out an ancient morpher, a device that looked a little like a paintbrush, and shoved it into his pocket.

"I'm coming." He stated. She wondered who he was talking to, but as he looked up, she noticed a glazed look in his eyes. It was like he was not in control of his actions, like his own mind had taken a vacation and left his body to someone else to take care of. "I'm coming Serrator."

As she heard this, her body went stock-still. Serrator had taken control of Cody. He wanted him to retrieve the ancient morpher. She couldn't imagine why he would want it; Nighlock did not have symbol power, so the device was useless to him. However, she had very few logical thoughts on the subject. Although part of her, a very quiet part that could barely be heard by higher reason told her that she should stop Cody, to ensure he would not do whatever it was that Serrator had sent him to do, there was only one thought that she could understand, the one that kept echoing in her mind. Although not a conscious choice, Cody was working for Serrator, which meant that at some point, he was going back to him. He could lead her straight to the one responsible for killing the first man she had ever loved.

She pulled away into her room, and kept an eye on the door as Cody came out the study. She watched him head down the hall and towards the front door. Once she was sure he had gone, she snatched up Kasamune, and followed him.

It was early evening, and Spike arrived at a house a couple of blocks from his uncle Bulk's place, finding Mal, Vicky and Jimmy waiting for him. It was a huge place, much like the rest of the houses in this neighbourhood, and by the sounds of the loud music blasting out, the party had already started.

"Spike." Jimmy greeted him, waving him over frantically. There were a couple of Seniors at the door, barring their way, whom Spike recognised as being on the football team. "They won't let us in!"

"Guys, they're with me." Spike said in an off-hand manner. The two Seniors just looked at each other, before parting, allowing them inside. Spike just gave a little smirk. His stock in the school had risen sharply since he had handed Justin a beat down that had been witnessed on YouTube by pretty much everyone. Although only a Sophomore himself, he was something of a celebrity in the school now, and that came with a few privileges.

"Wow, this looks..." Mal struggled to find a word for it as they got to the back yard. There was a pool that looked like a small lake, where dozens of kids were messing around. In one corner, a few of them were gathered around a table that was set up with drinks, most noticeable of which was a beer keg, and in another area, others were dancing. "...um..."

"This is awesome!" Jimmy screamed. "Seriously, when have we ever been to a party this cool?"

"Hey Spike." Melanie greeted him as she came over, accompanied by a group of her fellow cheerleaders. "Sorry about yesterday, I had been looking forward to it. How's your...uh...?"

"Sensei." He reminded her with a little grin. "I haven't spoken to her yet."

"Well, I was just telling the others how we called off the date yesterday." Melanie told him. Vicky just snorted and turned away. 'They' hadn't called off anything. Spike had been upset when he heard that Serena cancelled their lessons because she was having personal problems that she needed to take care of. Melanie had been far from empathetic about it, and seemed to be put out over the fact that Spike didn't feel like taking her on the expensive date she had planned for them. "I was telling them how worried you were about Selena..."

"Serena." Spike corrected her. "Yeah, look, I know you're disappointed. I just hope..."

"It's alright, the play was great." She told him. "Jenny and I had a good time."

Vicky was not surprised that Melanie had gone anyway. She doubted very much that she genuinely cared about Spike's friends, even if he was noticeably upset that they were having problems. Melanie came over, putting an arm around Spike, hanging off him in a way that made Vicky turn bright red, and start shaking as she tensed right up.

"Not as good as I'd have had with you though." She told him. "How about we go and get a drink?"

"That sounds good." Spike sighed, going with her as she walked away. Mal saw some kids he knew and walked off, leaving Vicky with her brother. Jimmy saw her glaring at Melanie in a way that looked like she wished she could make her burst into flames with her gaze.

"Hey, we're at a party remember?" Jimmy asked her. "Come on. Lighten up a bit will you?"

Vicky just nodded and followed him as they went to the refreshments table.

Serena continued to follow Jimmy, keeping out of sight when she could, not that it mattered. The boy seemed genuinely oblivious to anything else around him as he made his way through the city and into the surrounding woods.

She kept a safe distance as he left the trail, heading off into the deep brush. She had no idea where he was going, or what he wanted there, but since he was working under Serrator's influence, she was sure that it couldn't be good.

She knew that what she was doing was risky, foolhardy; some would even say downright stupid. As soon as she realised that Cody was not working under his own mind, she should have alerted the others. She should have stopped him from leaving the house. She should have...but right now, she was only working under one motive. Cody could take her to Serrator. He could take her to the one that had killed Stephen.

As he arrived at a cave, she followed him in, keeping her distance. She watched as he approached Serrator, who just handed him a power disk.

"Now, your family's symbol power has kept the seal in place." He stated. "Open it!"

Unlike Emily, Serena had always been intended to be the Yellow Ranger, so she had studied some of the Samurai history. She knew that according to legend, the Grand Shogun, the grandson of the first Red Samurai Hirohito, had sent an ancient and powerful Zord to America, pretty much as far from their village as they were capable of sending it, and sealed it in a mountain to stop its rampage. She knew that the Bull Zord had gone on a terrible rampage that had caused massive destruction, even cost lives. He had sent some of his most trusted servants to guard it, to ensure that no one ever found it. Cody's family were the descendents of those servants. Seeing him approach a bull statue, she presumed that Serrator wanted him to release it.

"You know, it is rude to eavesdrop." Serrator drawled as he held up a hand. He started to beckon her out with a finger. Realising that he knew she was there, Serena came out of her hiding spot, coming into view. "I don't even get one of the Rangers? I'm insulted."

"You'll find I'm more than enough." Serena told him. He saw Kasamune hanging from her belt and smiled.

"So, you're the Blessed Warrior?" He asked her. He just shuddered in a mocking gesture. "Ooh, I'm SO scared."

"This was pretty much all Serena could take. Drawing the ancient sword, she let out a hellish scream as she rushed at Serrator, swinging for the fences. He was the reason Stephen was gone, he was the reason the man she loved was dead, and if it was the last thing she did, she was going to ensure that Serrator would become a permanent resident of the Dark Zone.

Back at the party, Spike was talking with some older kids, who seemed to be completely enraptured by his every word. They wanted to know all about the fight with Justin, asking again and again for the details. Spike, with Melanie's encouragement, seemed only too happy to oblige them, going over the story again and again, each time adding a little more detail.

Melanie was with him, hanging off him, laughing at times, and handing him drinks. Spike was grinning like a maniac, up until he heard a small disturbance. He saw Mal striding purposefully for the door, cradling his nose, with Vicky and Jimmy not far behind him.

"Mal, come on, let me see..."

"I told you Vicky I'm fine!" He snapped. Spike just pushed past his 'fans' and approached him.

"Mal, what...?" He paused as Mal turned towards him. He had blood splattered all down the front of his shirt, and his eyes were already darkening. By the looks of things, something had happened, and someone had broken his nose. "Holy shit, what happened?"

"Let's see, I walked into a door, is that what you want to hear?" Mal said sarcastically. "What the hell do you think happened? Some dick kicked my ass!"

"Who?" Spike asked him. Mal just rolled his eyes.

"What, now you're going to fight my battles for me?" Mal asked him. "I'm going home!"

"Mal, what are you yelling at me for?" Spike asked him.

"Oh, I don't know, why would anyone want to say anything bad about the King of YouTube?" Mal asked him sarcastically.

"Mal, you're hurt." Vicky stated. "Please, let's just go and..."

"No Vicky, Spike wants to know, why don't we tell him?" He asked. "Do you honestly think any of these assholes gives a shit about you?"

Spike looked at him a little angrily. He never asked for the attention, he sure as hell never went out to seek it, but now he had it, he had to admit that it was somewhat intoxicating. When he had been at school before, he had been bullied relentlessly to the point that his parents pulled him out of school altogether and home-schooled him. Now, kids actually went out of their way just to talk to him. He was idolised by the younger kids, and the older ones knew his name, but actually greeted him without any malicious intent. He was like a rock-star. Kids parted in the corridor to let him past. Hell, he never even had trouble finding a table in the canteen since kids would often leave just to give him a table.

"Well, given the number of friends..."

"You think they're your friends?" Mal roared. "Where the hell were they when the football team kicked your butt? Where the hell were they when you wondered if you were coming back to school?"

"Mal..."

"No Vicky, I'm sick of this bullshit!" Mal told him. "You want to know what happened? I heard someone talking about you. When I tried to straighten him out, I ended up on my ass!"

"I never asked you to do that." Spike told him. "Now, if you just tell me who did it..."

"What does it matter Spike?" He asked him. "What'll you do? Kick his butt? What'll that prove?"

"Mal, I really don't know why you're on my case here!" Spike told him.

"Don't you?" He asked sarcastically. "These people aren't your friends Spike; you're the flavour of the month! Just like Justin, and just like Curtis...you're a rock star now, but sooner or later, everyone's just going to move on to the next fad."

"You know what Mal? Forget it!" Spike told him. "You're hurt, and you're pissed. I get that..."

"Do you?" Mal asked him. "I really hope you're right for your sake Spike. I really hope these people are genuinely your friends, because the way you're going..."

"You know, if this is how you talk to people, I'm not surprised someone hit you!" Spike snapped, finally fed up with the way Mal was screaming at him. He had no idea what he had done to deserve it. "Maybe you deserved it!"

"Piss off Spike." Mal muttered, before storming away. He just threw up his arms as the other kids watched Mal go.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"He's upset. I'll make sure he gets home alright." Vicky told him. Spike grabbed her shoulder.

"Vicky, I'm not the bad guy here." He told her. "He went off on me!"

"Spike..." She sighed. She looked to him apologetically. "I'm not taking sides..."

"Neither am I!" Spike told her. She just shook her head.

"He's your friend; he has been since you started at school." She told him. "Now he's walking home with a head injury and you're just going to stay at the party with the ones who did it to him?"

"Vicky..."

"Spike..." She sighed deeply. She just looked to Melanie, who was hanging off Spike's shoulders like a bad fashion accessory. He was surrounded by the popular kids, he had the hottest girl in the year on his arm...she couldn't help but think he had changed. She still liked him deeply, she still got that slightly nauseous feeling in her stomach whenever she saw him, but now she didn't know what to think. "All I'm saying is when did these guys start giving a shit who you were?"

Spike just looked at her, completely confused.

"Maybe you should try remembering who were your friends when they didn't have anything to gain by it." She suggested, before turning and leaving. Spike just turned to the others, still wondering what exactly had happened.

"Come on Spike, let's go and dance." Melanie told him, taking him by the hand and leading him into the house.

Back in the cave, Serrator stumbled into the cave wall as Serena hacked at him aggressively. She snarled angrily as she drew her sword back.

"You seem upset about something." Serrator taunted her. "Are you a little upset about that boy I killed?"

She roared as she rushed towards him with a destructive, overhead swing. Serrator was not on the receiving end though, by the time she arrived, he had already ducked out of the way. He raked across her abdomen with his claws, causing superficial damage. He could easily have disembowelled her, she already knew that, but he wasn't trying to take her out, something which enraged her more. He was toying with her.

"I remember all those I slay." He told her. "His neck was so fragile; I can remember what it felt like to twist it..."

She hammered home a couple of strikes, only for him to catch her blade and palm-heel her straight in the face. Serena fell on her butt, blood running from her nose, glaring up at him hatefully.

"I have many powers that enable me to kill, but I do so love the hands-on approach. There's something so satisfying about feeling a life slip away in your hands." He told her. Serena kicked his knee, and kipped up; renewing her attack, but it wasn't long before he swiped her down again, this time opening up a long cut across her right cheekbone.

"Do you want to know what his last word was?" He asked her. "He was calling out my name. I didn't bother to listen to what he had to say, but doubtless he was about to beg for his life."

She screamed as she threw herself at him once again. Serrator slapped Kasamune from her hands, and grabbed her by the throat.

"So how does it feel now?" He asked her. "Not only to know that he's gone, but to know that in the end, when all was said and done, that he died a coward?"

He threw Serena to the ground, where she lay, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, the cave started to shake. Serena just looked across, realising too late that all the time she was fighting Serrator, Cody, still under Serrator's spell, had been using his symbol power to unlock the seal. Now, the Power Disk bore the symbols of the Bull, indicating that the Zord was now active once more. Cody flopped to the floor, and rubbed his eyes, as though just waking. He looked to the statue in horror, seeing it cracking.

"What have I done?" Cody gasped. Serrator just looked between him and Serena.

"Exactly what I wanted you to do." Serrator told him. "While killing you both now would be fun, I think it will be more satisfying to let you both see the carnage.

As he disappeared, Serena realised her part in the whole thing. She knew that Cody was under his control, she knew that he could release the Bull Zord, but instead of trying to stop him, she had just left Cody to revive the Bull Zord. Her own desire for vengeance had blinded her, and now the city was going to pay the price.


	16. Taming a Bull

The Rangers were locked in a hard battle against the latest Nighlock, Crustor. He seemed to be an incredibly tough opponent, and he had brought a small army of Moogers along for the ride. Jayden threw the Black Box to Emily as he cut down some more of them.

"Me?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"I got the last power up." He told her. "I figured it was your turn."

Emily just pulled out her power disk, and clipped it into the Black Box, before attaching it to the back of her Spin Sword. Kevin and Mike kept Crustor busy while she prepared.

"Super Samurai Mode!" She called out, powering up. She could feel as she did so that Mike, Kevin and Jayden had not been exaggerating about the feeling of power the Super Samurai Mode gave. Rushing forward, everything for Emily seemed to slow to a crawl, and with seemingly no effort at all, she slashed the Nighlock fifteen, twenty times, sending him crumpling to the ground. She spun away, looking to the Nighlock as she started her Power Disk spinning.

"Do it Emily!" Mike willed her.

Casting forward a tremendous rock slide, the Nighlock and the remaining Moogers exploded as she stood, admiring her handywork. Mike ran to her side, putting an arm on her shoulders.

"Wow, that was incredible!" He complimented her. "The coat really suits you too."

"I'm just glad it changes length to suit the Ranger." She told him. "It wouldn't have looked nearly as impressive if I'd tripped on it and landed on my face."

"Well, I just hope everyone's keeping score and remembers who's not had a turn yet." Mia added, shoving the back of Emily's helmet. She just giggled.

"Well, you can have the next shot, I'm sure." Emily told her. Just then, they felt a huge rumbling.

"Uh...the Nighlock don't usually cause THIS much of a tremor do they?" Mike asked.

"No, but I don't think it's Crustor." Kevin replied, pointing over to the mountains. They all watched as one of the mountains crumbled and fell apart, releasing the Bull Zord. Jayden turned in time to watch Crustor coming back for his second life.

"OK, this isn't good." Jayden remarked, running off in the direction of the Bull Zord. "Kevin, you and the others do what you can about Crustor."

"What are you going to do?" Mike asked.

"Take the bull by the horns." Jayden called back. The other six Rangers just stared at each other.

"Did he SERIOUSLY just say that?" Mike asked.

"I blame you." Ji sighed, pointing at Antonio. "All those gold puns have been a bad influence on him."

"Well, let's just deal with this first." Kevin stated, bringing out the Dragon Zord. "We can worry about bad puns later."

Inside the Bull Zord, Serena and Cody were hanging on for dear life. Serena grabbed the young boy as he struggled to stand.

"I'm sorry!" He screamed. "I always wanted the Bull Zord to be free...but I'd never have released him if I didn't think I could tame him! I know how destructive..."

"It's not your fault. Serrator made you do it!" Serena reminded him. "Can you seal him away again?"

"I...I don't know!" He told her. "My ancestors needed the Grand Shogun's help to seal it away last time."

They heard some crashing outside, and knew that the Bull Zord had to be heading for the city. If it got there before they could do anything to stop it, there was no telling how much damage it could do.

"It's heading away from the mountain!" She told him. "It's too late to just seal it up again!"

"Then what can we do?" Cody asked her.

"You said you wanted to tame it right?" She asked him. "Do you know how?"

"I...I...I've..." He started to stammer, before fishing another control disk out of his pocket. "Dad never let me try it, but I've been practicing my symbol power. I think I can make the right symbol."

Just then, Jayden arrived. Although the Zord was still out of control, he had managed to get inside. He arrived, finding Serena and Cody inside.

"What happened?" He asked them.

"Serrator made him do it!" Serena told him. "Cody thinks he can bring it under control."

"I don't know." He answered. "I think I know the symbol, but..."

His words tailed off. His family had symbol power, but it was nothing like that belonging to the Noble Families. They could accomplish small feats connected to their duties defending the Bull Zord's prison, but their power was limited. Jayden just grabbed his shoulders.

"Belief in yourself is vital to getting symbol power to work." He reminded him. "Cody, if anyone can do this it's you. Your family's got a stronger connection to the Bull Zord than any other.

Cody nodded, and turned towards the pedestal, placing the control disk on it. He took the ancient morpher, and started to trace a symbol in the air. He cast it forward, but hitting the control disk, it just dissipated in the air, with no effect.

"It's alright, just try it again!" Jayden beckoned him. He placed his hands on his shoulders, kneeling behind him. He concentrated, channelling his symbol power through the teenager. "Let's see how you do with a little more power."

As Cody tried again to trace the symbol, Serena just watched from where she was waiting. It was her fault they were in this situation. She could have stopped Cody from going to the cave, but she didn't. She could only think of the fact that he could lead her to Serrator. Shame descended on her as she thought of the people in the city that could soon find themselves crushed beneath the hooves of the Bull Zord in its rampage. She hadn't even gotten her vengeance, and how many would pay the price? Dozens? Hundreds?

The second attempt at the symbol also failed. She saw Cody looking decidedly faint as Jayden held him upright. He was clearly testing the limits of his power in an attempt to correct his mistake.

"Keep trying Cody!" Jayden willed him. "Come on, give it everything! All your will, again!"

Serena suddenly got up and made her way over, grabbing onto Cody too. Jayden looked at her.

"This is my fault!" She told him.

"But...you said..."

"I'll explain later, but please, just let me help!" She called out. Jayden just nodded.

"Alright." He told her. "Come on Cody, again!"

Serena willed every ounce of strength she had into Cody. She knew that such extensive use of Symbol Power was incredibly dangerous, but at that moment, she didn't care. If it cost her life, then that was better than hundreds of innocent lives. It would be a price she was willing to pay to stop her mistake causing that kind of harm. Cody flopped backwards into Jayden's arms as the symbol struck. The control disk changed into a red disk, depicting the bull, and the rock on the walls disappeared, leaving a recognisable Zord cockpit behind.

"Easy, just relax." Jayden told him. "You did well Cody."

He took the control disk to the console in the room, assuming his Mega Mode. He placed the disk on it, and took a deep breath. Spinning the disk, he felt the power running through him, and his mind connecting with the Bull Zord. Willing it to stop, the Bull Zord skidded to a halt, inches from the edge of a cliff overlooking the city. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Nice job Cody." He stated. She young boy smiled at him in response. It had always been his dearest wish to see the Bull Zord freed. Now, it seemed that they had achieved the impossible, and brought it under control. Something even the Grand Shogun had failed to do.

Jayden looked out over the city, and saw Crustor knocking the Claw Armour Megazord to the ground. He knew the others were not faring well. He looked to Serena. "Take Cody back to his home. It's time to see what this Zord can do!"

Back at the Zord battle, the Rangers were in deep trouble. Thick smoke was filling the cockpit, and they struggled to focus on the battle as they tumbled around inside.

"This guy's tough!" Emily screamed. "So much for my debut as a Super Samurai!"

"This isn't over yet." Antonio told her. "Keep fighting!"

Just then, the Bull Zord roared into view, smashing into Crustor and sending him flying. Kevin looked to it.

"That's all we need!" He complained. "Now we're really done for!"

However, they were surprised as it stopped still, and didn't continue to attack. Antonio smiled.

"Jayden?" He asked.

"We've got Cody to thank." He announced as he communicated with his team. "Bull Megazord Transformation!"

They watched as the Bull Zord started to change, taking on a Megazord form. Mia and Emily just looked at each other.

"What is it with the guys and all these upgrades?" Emily asked.

"I guess they just need it." Mia replied with a shrug. "You can't improve on perfection right?"

Crustor got back to his feet, just in time for the Bull Zord to power up its ultimate attack. In a barrage of fire, he exploded, leaving the Rangers victorious.

"Alright, now please tell me we get to drive that thing!" Mike stated. "That was awesome!"

Over at his place, Spike arrived back late, finding his uncle waiting for him. He just groaned.

"You shouldn't have waited up." Spike told him. "It is the weekend!"

"And you're still 15." Bulk reminded him. As he approached, he got a smell of something. "Have you...have you been drinking?"

"There was some beer at the party." He informed him with a shrug. "It's not a big..."

"Something tells me your parents would disagree!" Bulk interrupted him.

"Well...you drink!" Spike protested.

"I'm an adult, you're not!" Bulk told him. "Where are the others?"

"They went home ages ago." Spike said in an exasperated sigh. "Mal got into a scrape and went home."

"Is he alright?" Bulk asked him. Spike just shrugged.

"He broke his nose." Spike stated. "I'm sure he's fine by now."

"Wait, back up a minute. You mean someone at that party broke his nose...and you just let him go home by himself?" Bulk asked him incredulously. "Anything could have happened to him!"

"He got into the fight, not me!" Spike reminded him. "He just started screaming at me, saying it was my fault. He kept saying I've changed..."

"Do you think maybe he has a point?" Bulk asked him. Spike just shook his head.

"Not you too." Spike replied. "I'm going to bed!"

"Spike, stay right there!" Bulk yelled at him. Spike turned back to him, his mouth hanging open in shock. It wasn't often that his uncle raised his voice to him. He could tell that he wasn't happy. "Alright sit!"

Spike just took a seat on the couch. Bulk showed him a letter from the school.

"You're behind on some homework." Bulk told him. "Of course, the only reason I know that is because this note, which you seem to have forgotten to give me, was lying on your bedroom floor!"

"It's nothing!" Spike told him.

"Spike, you were the one that wanted to go to school." Bulk reminded him. "What have you been doing that's so important?"

"I've been working, you know that!" Spike told him. Bulk just sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, you've been working to earn money to go out with Melanie right?" Bulk asked him. "Your school work's important Spike, you can't value anything more than that."

He started to pace as he struggled to find the words.

"I know that things have gotten better at school recently, but I have to tell you I'm not loving the person you're turning into." Bulk told him. "This attitude of yours..."

"The others seem to be just fine with my attitude." Spike interrupted him. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm one of the most popular kids in school now. I'm going out with the hottest girl in my year..."

"Spike, have you noticed that Melanie only became interested in you when this whole Justin thing went down?" He asked him. "Where was your last date?"

"Well, I took her to the theatre..."

"Why not a movie?" Bulk asked him.

"She said there's nothing good on." Spike told him.

"Ever go out for a burger?" He asked him.

"No, Melanie hates burger joints." He answered. "I took her to that fancy Italian place..."

His words tailed off as he realised where Bulk was going with this.

"She is not like that!" Spike yelled at him. "She likes ME!"

"Are you sure it's you she likes, or your surname?" Bulk asked him. Spike just got up and started to make his way towards his bedroom. "I'm not done talking yet!"

"Yes you are!" Spike told him. "You may not know what it's like being popular, but..."

"If this is how you talk to your friends, then I'm not surprised Mal yelled at you." Bulk said a little sternly. He held up a finger in warning. "I may not have been the most popular kid in school, but that's how I know what it means to value real friends. Your dad and I got each other through some really rough times."

"Yeah, I know." Spike replied.

"It's easy to let distractions like all this attention go to your head." Bulk told him. "But if you don't remember who your real friends are, you might find they're not there when you need them. That's one hell of a lonely place to be."

With that, he patted Spike on the shoulder.

"Go to bed." He told him. "Just...go to bed."

Spike turned on the spot and stomped off up to bed. This was now the third person in one night to tell him that he was letting down his friends and warn him that he was losing them. Why did everyone have such a problem with him lately? Was it really so bad that for once in his life things were going his way?

Back at the Shiba House, Serena came out into the main room, finding Jayden and Ji discussing the battle. Although the battle had gone well, and if anything the revival of the Bull Zord had left them in a stronger position than before, she was well aware of the fact that it could have ended very differently.

"Can...can I have a word?" She asked. Ji just gestured her into the room. Serena sat with them, looking to the floor nervously.

"What can I help you with?" Ji asked her. Serena just looked to Jayden. She had already said to him that the Bull Zord being revived was her fault, but she hadn't explained what she meant by that. She took a deep breath.

"When Cody came to the house, when he told you about the Nighlock...I noticed he was acting strangely." She told them. "I kept an eye on him, and he went into Ji's study."

"I noticed the ancient morpher." Jayden told her, placing it on the table. "I wondered why he had it."

"He broke into Ji's safe, and he took it." Serena told them. "Then I heard him say..."

"Go on." Jayden beckoned her.

"I heard him say he was going to see Serrator." She admitted. She felt deeply ashamed of herself, saying it out loud, it sounded just as bad as it had in her head. "I...I didn't try and stop him. I just followed him."

Ji suddenly looked very stern. Jayden shook his head dejectedly.

"You allowed him to go?" Ji asked her quietly. She started to shed a few tears. She knew that it was dangerous. She knew that it was wrong. She knew that at very least, allowing Cody to go to Serrator put his life in danger.

"When I heard him say the name, I...I couldn't think of anything else." She told him. "I just wanted him so badly. I took Kasamune, and I went after him."

"Cody is fourteen years old!" Ji exclaimed angrily. "And you let him go to Serrator?"

"I know, I'm sorry!" She told them. "I didn't think! I didn't...I didn't care about Cody, I didn't care about the Bull Zord...I didn't even care about the people that could have been hurt. I just wanted to make him feel even a little of what I feel. It was selfish and it was wrong and I'm sorry!"

Jayden just looked to Ji, before getting up and heading over to her, taking her hand gently.

"I know what it's like to lose someone you love." Jayden told her sympathetically. "You realised what you did was wrong and you did what you could to make it right."

"But I put the city in danger." She told them. "I put all of you in danger. I remember what I felt. All I could feel was my own anger, my own hurt. I didn't even think about any of you until it was too late."

"You've suffered a terrible loss." Ji responded. "We all know that. However..."

"I've made a decision." She told them. "I know how much danger you're all in, all the time, and you really don't need me making it any worse."

"Serena..."

"I can't guarantee that I won't do something like this again." She told them. "I can't trust myself not to go after Serrator again. I know you'll all do what you can, but I don't want you to risk yourselves for my sake."

She wiped her eyes, and looked to them both.

"Until I know I can keep my head, I think it's for the best I'm not around." She told them. "I've packed my bags. Tomorrow, I'm going home to the farm."

"Serena, you don't..."

"You need time to mourn." Ji interrupted Jayden. "You are always welcome here, but while you deal with your loss, perhaps being with your family is the best thing for you."

"I'm really sorry." Serena told them. Ji just went to a side unit, and picked up a coffee can, before bringing it to the table, laying it down in front of her.

"You should take this." He told her. She just looked up at him, and he nodded to confirm what she suspected. "It is time he was laid to rest."

"I'll explain to the others in the morning." She told them. As she started to walk away, Jayden called her back.

"Cody told me what Serrator said to you." Jayden told her. She just looked to them. "He lied. Stephen didn't say his name. He only had a chance to say Ser."

"I don't understand." She told them.

"I think he was going to call out your name." Jayden told her. "He loved you, and I think that his last thought was of you."

"Thank you." She told them, before heading into her room. Jayden just looked to Ji.

"Emily's going to be upset." He told Ji. "She loves having Serena here."

"She loves her sister." Ji assured him. "She will understand."

The following morning, things were a little morose in the Shiba House. Ji had cancelled morning training, allowing Serena the time to explain to the others that she was leaving. Although Ji didn't force her to explain the circumstances around her battle with Serrator, she had volunteered the information, feeling that she owed it to them to let them know.

They were understanding, and they were pragmatic enough to appreciate that nothing more serious had happened, but they understood Serena's fears that she would put them in danger if she stayed.

Serena had just finished putting the last of her belongings into a backpack, before looking sadly to the Master System Stephen had bought at the marked. She pushed it inside, using her clothes as padding to ensure it didn't get damaged, before closing it up. There was a small knock on the door, and she turned to see Emily standing behind her. She had been very quiet since Serena had told them she was going.

She didn't say anything, just standing, looking at her sister. It tore Serena up to see how upset Emily was. She knew that Emily wanted to be there for her, but she was worried that her feelings of vengeance could lead to her endangering the team again. She couldn't bear to think that the team, Emily especially, would put themselves at risk if she stayed. She just gestured Emily over, hugging her tightly. Kevin appeared in the door a second later. Apart from Emily and Serena, he was the only one who had been to the farm, so he had volunteered to drive her.

"We should get going if we're going to miss the traffic." He told her. Serena just nodded.

"Alright." She replied. Throwing her backpack on her back, she picked up Kasamune and the coffee cans carrying Stephen's remains, following Kevin out to the yard, where the SUV was waiting. Kevin got into the driver's seat, and started the engine as Serena looked apologetically to the others.

"Cody..."

"He'll be fine." Jayden assured her. "We'll make sure of that."

"Take care of yourselves." Serena told them as she put her things in the back. She got into the passenger seat, at which Kevin drove out of the yard, heading for the freeway. Emily broke down in tears as Mike held her. Mia started rubbing her back sympathetically.

"She'll be back." Mike told her, kissing her softly. "I'm sure she'll be back."

Emily just watched the SUV disappearing into the distance, wishing there was something more she could have done.


	17. A Short Intermission

**A/N:** Just a short intermission, but I needed to clear a few things up. Faslane IS a naval base in Scotland in RL, and it IS the home of a nuclear deterrent. This is not information that is not within the public domain. However, to the best of my knowledge, there are no rumours of supernatural or extraterrestrial research going on there. That much is merely my creation.

The weather was unseasonably decent here for once, but the man in the jeep didn't care particularly much for the weather. Although this part of the country was really quite beautiful, he wasn't here for sightseeing. He had a job, a very important job to take care of.

"We're almost there sir." The man driving his jeep told him. He was a young man, little more than a boy as far as he could see, and already seemed quite settled into his role in the Armed Forces. He was only a junior officer, but he wore his pristine uniform with pride, and seemed genuinely joyful to be taking this man to the base. "You'll find this place a little different than you're used to."

"You'd be surprised what I'm used to Ensign." The stranger replied with a little smile, adjusting his sunglasses. They got to the somewhat familiar sight of chain link fences, topped with razor wire. Beyond them, he could see uniformed and armed personnel moving around, performing the many tasks one would expect in a Naval Base. He could even see some ships, and a submarine docked in the base. It was pretty much like most of the places his work took him, with the exception of the accents he could hear inside.

As they approached the gates, he noticed something that was a little unusual as far as he was concerned. For almost a mile before they reached the gates, vans and mobile homes, many of which carried protest signs and peace insignia were parked. People were sitting around, keeping watch on the personnel moving to and fro. The driver just tapped him on the shoulder.

"Damned protesters are here almost all year around." He commented. "Makes you think doesn't it? If they knew what was in here..."

"They do know for the most part." The stranger replied. "That's part of the problem."

As they pulled up to the gate, they were ordered to halt by a guard carrying an SA80 assault rifle. Guards in strategic positions nearby also covered them. As two trucks rolled up behind them, the stranger handed a letter to the guard.

"I'm here on orders." He told the guard. He checked the letter, and cast a gaze over the man, before gesturing to the gate house. As the gates rolled aside, he waved them in.

"Welcome to Faslane." He told him.

Faslane, better known as Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, situated near the Forth of Clyde, was the United Kingdom's only real naval base in Scotland. It was nestled at the coastline, in a beautiful part of the country. Its location was not the only thing that many resented about it though; many people knew what lay within. The fact that it was home to one of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrents, the controversial Trident class submarines was a cause of consternation among many, and as such, there were protest camps near its gates pretty much all year round.

As the motorcade rolled inside, a man and a woman came from one of the many campfires, keeping an eye on the vehicles rolling in. The man in particular had a somewhat noteworthy appearance, having wild hair, and extensive tattooing near his mouth and running up his cheeks. The woman watched as he started towards the road, getting a little close for comfort for the guards. She grabbed him and guided him back to the camp.

"Are you insane?" She whispered to him. "You only just regained your freedom, and you want to cause trouble here?"

"I recognise him." He told his female companion, an attractive, Asian looking woman. "Are you telling me that this doesn't feel off to you?"

"Jindrax, you know why we came here." She told him. "You know what's in there."

Jindrax and Toxica no longer sought the destruction of Earth, but there were parts of their nature they couldn't control. Their existence as Orgs meant that they were intrinsically drawn to sites of pollution and waste. On their travels, they had been to many protests, including oil spills, toxic dumps and even nuclear reactors through an innate need to be near sources of pollution to feed a kind of need within their being. Faslane, as the home of Trident was a site that fulfilled that need, and they had been here for a couple of weeks, but Jindrax had told her that he felt something he hadn't felt since he had returned to her.

"I'm telling you, there's more here than just Trident." He told her. "Can't you feel it? You know as well as I do what nukes feel like, but there's something else here, something that eclipses them."

Toxica didn't answer him. Just like him, she felt another energy from the base, one that was not necessarily a pollutant, but that did feel like a great energy source, an energy source greater than they had felt in many years.

"You do feel it!" Jindrax exclaimed. "You know I'm right!"

"Jindrax, it is not our concern!" She told him.

"You really think that's the kind of thing that humans should have their hands on?" He asked her. "No, it's in there, I can feel it!"

"So what do you propose we do?" She asked him.

"I know someone that will be very interested to know about this." He told her. "We just need to find her."

Meanwhile, inside the base, the motorcade had driven into a building, and onto a gigantic cargo elevator, which lowered them down, deep into the ground, into a facility buried miles beneath the earth, and lined in concrete. As the stranger got out of the vehicle, a man in a uniform approached him, flanked by men in lab coats.

"We were told to expect you." He stated as he approached the man. "My name is Doctor Johanson, I'm the lead researcher on this base. Welcome to the true Faslane."

The stranger shook his hand, taking off his sunglasses. He swept back his fringe as he did so, and looked to him with deep, blue eyes.

"Carter Grayson." He introduced himself. "My superiors told me you recovered something very interesting."

"Just this way." Johanson told him, leading him through some blast doors. One of the things that didn't make it to the press, or to Wikipedia was that Faslane housed far more than a nuclear deterrent. Much like certain installations in the United States, the background radiation level, while not dangerous, had a certain advantage, in that it made many scans impossible, making it an ideal site for research that the government did not want its public to know about. Extra Terrestrial research, supernatural artefacts...indeed, many of the things kept within these caverns, miles below the Earth, they were perfectly confident were many times more dangerous than the missiles aboard the submarines.

He was led through many blast doors, down corridors lines with guards and surveillance cameras. Carter eventually found himself brought into a room, with computers running numerous tests. One of the walls was completely dominated by a thick, bombproof glass window, looking into a chamber. Sitting on a stand, in the middle of it, was a white and red nodachi.

"We found this on the summit of Ben Lomond." Johanson told him. "It's been giving off incredible energy."

"What kind of energy?" Carter asked him.

"Energy I've never seen before." He replied honestly. "This is about as close as we dare get. The guy that tried to draw it ended up with full thickness burns to his hand and is still on medical leave. We can only safely contain it in here while we run long-range scans to see if we can figure out what the hell it is."

"My team will be able to figure it out." Carter told him, turning to a messenger. "Go to my team, tell them that I want Mrs. Rawlins to bring every piece of equipment we need down here. I want to know what this is."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Johanson protested. "You can't just take over!"

"Actually I can." Carter stated, giving him another letter.

"My orders come directly from David..."

"There are authorities higher than him." Carter assured him. "Tell your team to stand down. They aren't equipped to deal with this, my team is."

"An authority higher than the Prime Minister?" Johanson gasped, reading over the letter. Carter just nodded.

"Order your team to stand down. They can't deal with this. If anyone can, it's us. They'll just get in the way." He told him.

"Fine." He replied bitterly, waving a hand to tell his team to pack up. Carter turned his attention back to the glass and looked to Urumasa, seeing the laser beams scanning its every surface, scanning for what form its power took. He just watched on as he felt the gravity of his task coming over him.

"What the hell are you?" He asked, knowing he would not get an answer.


	18. Mia's Brother

A couple of days after she left, the Shiba House still wasn't the same without Serena. Even though she was around the same age as Mia, given the fact that she strictly speaking had no responsibilities as a Ranger, she had somewhat adopted a role in the house as the house mommy...something the Rangers now noticed they were missing.

Emily had been quiet, far more quiet than usual. She had, of course, sent a few messages to Serena asking the usual questions...how she was doing, if she was alright...all the ones that felt like bullshit when not said face-to-face. Serena had only replied once to assure her that she was dealing with things with their parents, but other than that, nothing.

She wasn't the only one getting messages though. None of the Rangers really got messages much, their parents had all been warned about the danger loved ones would be in if the Nighlock were to make connections. On the whole, they never even talked to their parents, and hadn't done for months, with the notable exception being Christmas. Now though, something happened, something that happened so often that even Jayden couldn't write it off. Mia picked up her phone, looked at it, then hit the ignore button and threw it away.

"Telemarketer?" Mike asked her.

"I wish." Mia grunted. "I don't want to talk about it. Maybe he'll get the hint."

Kevin's ears noticeably pricked up at this point. He had learned a hard lesson once when he thought Antonio was putting the moves on Mia, but that didn't mean there were certain things that didn't play on his mind. He knew he was not Mia's first love. He knew she had given herself to another, and while she assured him that he was the one she wanted, he had to admit being more than a little suspicious and jealous when other men looked at her. He trusted her completely, but it was a part of him he couldn't deny existed.

He knew, as tragically short as his life was, that she had given birth to a son by another man. He didn't want to think about such things, and he genuinely trusted her with his heart, but there was a part of his brain that just throbbed, ached, any time her phone buzzed, and she just told him it was none of his concern and dealt with it. There was a little thing in his head that still burned every time she got a call from someone and he didn't know who it was.

"Mia, that's about six calls in the last day." Mike told her. "Maybe..."

"Maybe you should worry about your own shit!" Mia snapped. As the whole room just stared at her, she realised she had done wrong. "Oh Mike...I'm sorry..."

"I guess I can be a little nosy." He murmured. Emily just gestured her outside, before holding up a hand, showing the others that she wanted to talk to Mia alone. The Pink and Yellow Ranger went outside, at which Mia started pacing.

"Alright, you're clearly upset..."

"Upset doesn't begin to cover it!" Mia screamed. She saw the way Emily was looking at her, those huge, blue eyes already beginning to tear up, and immediately regretted it. She loved Emily, she genuinely did, they had been like sisters as long as they had been at the Shiba House. Emily was only able to last more than a couple of days because Mia was happy to accept her and accept the role Serena had always played in her life.

"Emily, I'm sorry..."

"What's wrong with me?" Emily wailed as she began to sob hard.

"Emily, it's..."

"I wasn't enough for Serena, and now I'm not enough for you!" She continued. Mia just grabbed her, pulling her in and hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry..."

"Emily, you have nothing to apologise for." Mia assured her. She pushed Emily away just enough to look into her eyes. "This is nothing to do with..."

"But it IS to do with me, it IS!" Emily protested tearfully. "If I can't..."

"Emily, this isn't about you. You're the best thing about me being here." Mia assured her. "It's about my brother."

"Your...your brother?" Emily asked her. "I didn't even know..."

"I don't talk about him much." Mia told her. "In fact, I haven't spoken to him in..."

She had to think hard how she would tell her.

"I haven't spoken to him since I was pregnant with Evan." Mia concluded her story. She started stroking Emily's hair comfortingly, realising how much Emily was taking things to heart. Serena leaving, while the best thing for her; was also a pretty hard thing for Emily to accept. It was like she wasn't enough for her. She didn't want Emily to feel like that was the case here. This was something from long before Emily had come into her life.

"He was part of Aaron's band." She informed her. "He...um...well...let's just say the last words we exchanged were far from friendly."

"I never knew you had a brother." Emily replied, wiping away some tears. "You never told us..."

"Like I said, we haven't spoken in a long time." Mia told her.

"But, he's your brother." Emily reiterated. Mia just looked her in the eyes.

"Emily, he's not like Serena. He's not a good guy." Mia told her. "I don't consider him a brother...I don't consider him much of anything to be honest."

"But..."

"I'm serious Emily, he isn't worth caring about!" Mi told her. She held her close, hugging her warmly. "He isn't like you. He isn't a good person. I don't want anything to do with him."

Eventually, Kevin came to the door. Mia smiled as she saw him.

"Mia, you said you wanted to go to the market." Kevin reminded her. "We need to get there soon or..."

"I'm coming." Mia assured her. She then looked to Emily and smiled. "Now that IS a man worth paying attention to."

She hugged her again, kissing Emily on the top of the head, before leaving. Emily just watched them both go. She knew that there was more to this story than Mia was willing to tell. She jumped about five feet in the air when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Emily, we're doing some hand-to-hand." Mike told her. "I promised to teach you that kimura that..."

"I'll be there." Emily told him, keeping her eyes on the door. "I'm coming."

At the market, Kevin was looking through the butcher's counter with Mia. They knew better than to look at the fish counter, Antonio had taken it personally when they brought home store-bought fish one time. Generally, he always brought back any stock he hadn't managed to sell.

"Mia..."

"It was my brother Kevin." She sighed. Even before he asked, she could tell what he wanted to talk about. It was only to be expected, she had received dozens of messages in only a couple of days. "He said he's coming to town."

"Your brother?" He asked quizzically. Just like Emily, he didn't know that Mia had a brother. She was a very guarded and closed person when it came to her past, something he had found out wasn't without reason. "Are you going to see him?"

"Kevin, you know the rules." She told him. "We're not to contact our friends or family..."

"And that's just an excuse." Kevin cut her off. "We both know that wouldn't matter when it came to family. Hell, if dad came to town, even I'd say 'screw the rules'. You wouldn't be able to stop me from going to catch up with him."

Mia just sighed.

"We haven't talked in a good couple of years." She told him. "We aren't exactly close like Emily and Serena."

"What happened?" Kevin asked her. Mia just glared at him.

"I don't want to talk about it." She told him. He just shook his head.

"Sorry, but it doesn't work like that." He told her. "I know you like to keep things to yourself, but this is obviously really upsetting to you. We agreed to share things like that back when you accepted that ring remember?"

Mia just looked to her hand, to the engagement ring on her finger as Kevin took her hand. As the butcher handed her the meat she had ordered, she just put it in the trolley and looked to Kevin.

"He was in Aaron's band." She told him. "We stopped talking a little before they left town."

Now Kevin understood, and he was far less sympathetic towards her brother. He knew what Aaron had done to her. He had earned her trust, and her love, only to break her heart and spread lies about her all over town and leave without a word when he found out she was pregnant. Although they had since met Aaron and helped him out, he was in no way ready to forgive him for that crime. To hear that her brother was part of that band, and had actually gone with him filled him with disgust. Had one of her family really turned their back on her like that?

Just then, their morphers bleeped. Mia just looked to it, checking the location and sighed.

"So much for the groceries." She muttered as they both ran off, leaving a cart full of groceries behind.

A little before the alarm at the Shiba House, Emily and Jayden were running through some hand-to-hand training while Mike watched them. He had been doing a lot of hand-to-hand with Emily, and he knew she had learned a lot from him. It was a good distraction from what was happening to the house, something to occupy her other than the thought that across little more than a fortnight, two of their number were gone from the house. He had to admit that he was also keen to see how much she had learned, and how it allowed her to compete with Jayden.

He was a little distracted though as he heard something outside. It sounded a lot like an acoustic guitar. He turned towards the door, missing the point at which Emily launched herself onto Jayden's back, snatching him in a sleeper hold. The Red Ranger rolled forward, dumping her on the ground and rolling over her, winding her slightly, before parting from her, drawing back a fist to make a point.

"If your opponent's bigger and heavier than you, leaving the ground and breaking traction isn't a good idea." Jayden told her. It was a lesson Emily had heard a few times, considering the fact pretty much everyone was bigger than her by a significant margin, but he needed her to understand the folly of her attack. "If you must grapple a larger opponent, you need to get them on the ground first. That way, their size is not an advantage."

He paused as he heard the music too. He got up, allowing Emily to do so as well, as he came across to Mike. They all headed outside, finding a guy in the yard, sitting on one of the stone benches, playing a guitar. Mentor Ji joined them, at which they all made their way over to the stranger.

He was an Asian guy, kind of lanky in build, and had spiky hair. He looked to be around 18 years old or so. He looked to them and smiled.

"Hey, so I guess you guys are the Rangers." He stated. They all looked among each other curiously.

"And you would be...?"

"I'm Terry." He told them, extending a hand. They all just stared blankly at him. "Um...I'm Mia's brother?"

There was a long pause, and considerable silence. None of them knew what to make of this stranger's identity. Mike and Jayden didn't know Mia had a brother, but given the fact this guy knew who they were, they could only presume he was telling the truth about his identity. How else would he even know about the Shiba House? Ji knew who he was, but he also knew that there was something of a rift in Mia's family, and was uncertain exactly how happy she'd be to see him.

Emily ended the silence, screeching hellishly and throwing herself at Terry, punching him hard across the face and sending him tumbling over the bench to the ground. She then leapt on him, grabbing him in a strong sleeper hold, wrapping her legs around him to stop him trying to squirm out of it. Jayden and Mike grabbed both of them, pulling them apart.

"Alright, I guess one of you knows who I am then." Terry coughed as she struggled for breath. Mike struggled to hold his fiancée back as she screamed obscenities at him. He hadn't seen her so livid since the night she had fought Dekker to protect Serena. Since that fight ended with him being buried under half a mountain, he was keen to get her away. Just then, the Gap Sensor sounded. Ji was at Terry's side, making sure he was alright.

"Go." Ji told them.

"But he...!"

"I said GO!" Ji snapped, interrupting Emily. "He will not go anywhere soon. He will be here when you get back. I'll ensure that. You just go."

Emily was reluctant to leave, she seemed like she really wanted to stay and pound on Terry a lot more, but in the end, she knew her responsibility and she ran off to deal with the threat to the city. Mike and Jayden went with him. Terry just looked to Mentor Ji as he went to the house.

"You know who we are, so no doubt you are familiar with the layout of the house." He told him. "I will be inside."

"Want to help me up?" Terry asked. Ji just turned and glared at him.

"Emily was stopped before she could do any serious harm." He told him. "You can manage by yourself."

With that, he disappeared inside. Terry just gathered up his guitar and his bag, bringing them inside. He wasn't expecting a warm welcome, and it seemed he was not going to receive it.

At the school, Spike arrived, and saw his friends standing by a locker. Mal still had his nose taped up from the fight. Jimmy and Vicky both saw him, giving him a courteous nod, before turning their attention back to Mal. Spike still didn't know what their deal was. It wasn't as if he was the one that broke Mal's nose.

As he got to his locker, a few of the football players were waiting for him, along with some of the cheerleaders. He just smiled.

"Hey guys." Spike chirped. "What is it?"

"We were just here to tell you, Eastern are sending some of their boys over!" One of the defensive linesman told him. "This rumble's going to be a cake walk!"

Spike just opened his locker, looking to them all a little disbelievingly. He knew that Central and Eastern had a long-running rivalry. Normally it was contained to the sports fields, but it had spilled into the parking lots and streets. The two schools officially did not acknowledge it, but unofficially, everyone knew that a Central kid turning up alone in Eastern's part of town could expect a five star ass kicking, and vice versa. Rumbles...on paper...didn't happen, but then again, the hospital reports would say different.

"Yeah, with you..."

"Whoa, hold on, wait up here." Spike stated, holding up his hands. "You want me to fight?"

"Yeah, you're one of us right?" Another kid asked. "We all saw how you kicked the living crap out of Justin...no offence man...so with you..."

"Wait, I only fought Justin because I didn't have a choice!" Spike told them. "I have nothing against those kids!"

"They're Eastern!" One of them protested, like this was explanation enough. "I ended up with a concussion..."

"You ended up with a concussion because you went into their parking lot and started keying cars!" Spike reminded them.

"So you're bailing?" One of the cheerleaders asked him incredulously. Melanie stood to his defence.

"No, I'm sure he isn't." She told them. "I mean, maybe if you guys handle this yourselves..."

"So much for the King of YouTube." One of the football players snorted dismissively. "You've got moves, but I guess you've only got a set when it suits you."

"Guys, wait!" Spike called after them as they left. Melanie and some of the cheerleaders hung back as he turned to them. "It's just...my sensei always taught me fighting's only an option when the other guy attacks you."

"Selena?" Melanie asked him. Spike just nodded.

"Serena." He corrected her. "Yeah, I learned the hard way against Curtis and the others. Fighting isn't a good thing, it should always be the last choice."

"Well, I for one think it's great you aren't going to mess up that face needlessly." Melanie told him, drawing him in and kissing him. Spike's mind completely fogged up, and he couldn't think of anything else, least of all Mal, Jimmy and Vicky glaring at him, talking in an animated manner. "Maybe you and that adorable face can take me to the Congo Club..."

"But we're under age!" Spike reminded her. She just giggled.

"I'm sure we can score some fake ID's." She assured him. "They'll only cost..."

"Actually, I'm a bit short." Spike told her. "I haven't been paid for my odd jobs this week, so..."

"Wait...what?" Melanie asked him. "But...your dad's loaded!"

"Yeah, but I only get about twenty bucks a week allowance." Spike told her. "Mom and dad want me to learn the value of money. Most of my money's in trust..."

"Wait, you mean...you have no money?" Melanie asked him. Spike just shrugged.

"Not until Friday anyway." He told her. "Then..."

Melanie threw his hands off her shoulders and looked at him in disgust. He just stared at her.

"Melanie..."

"Loser." She said in disgust, before walking away. Spike felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest, and he noticed that all of a sudden, he was alone in the hall. It seemed cold, quiet...lonely. All of a sudden, Mal's words came to him.

He wasn't popular at all. He was only popular when the others thought he could give them something. The football team only wanted him for his ability to fight. Melanie only wanted him when she thought he had money. As soon as they realised they would gain nothing from his friendship, they all turned their backs on him.

Spike just turned tail and ran before anyone else could humiliate him. He thought he heard someone calling out for him, but he didn't stop to check. He had been dumped, and he had been cast aside by people he thought were his friends. He didn't need the humiliation of someone seeing him cry.


	19. Terry's Request

Western High School, one of the five schools in the area, was swarming with Moogers. The faculty had already taken the sensible precaution of locking all the doors. The Rangers arrived, finding the Moogers trying desperately to break in. An unfortunate fact was that kids tended to cry more than adults, a fact that was not lost on Xandred, resulting in many of his attacks focussing on places he knew there would be children.

"Get away from there!" Mia screamed, casting forward a symbol that caused a wind so strong that all the Moogers on the same floor were immediately thrown off. She and Kevin ran forward, somersaulting to the ground, where they joined Jayden, Emily and Mike in the battle. There was no Nighlock in sight; clearly this was just another minor attack Xandred had sent to remind them he was still there.

It didn't take long for them to take care of them. If anything, it was barely worth the effort of showing up. It was barely even a warm-up for them. Eventually, they just stood in the yard, looking to each other as the last one exploded

"If I'd known it would be like this, I wouldn't have bothered leaving the supermarket." Mia snorted. "You three could have handled this. Now..."

"Mia!" Jayden interrupted her. "Your brother showed up to the Shiba House."

"What?" Mia asked incredulously.

"Terry showed up!" Jayden reiterated, stepping a bit closer. "We just didn't want you having any nasty surprises when you got back."

With that, they all left, making their way back to the Shiba House.

Terry sat on a couch in the living room, waiting for the others to come back. His attention was caught as Ji came back, slapping a tray down in front of him. It had a bowl of trial mix, and a mug of hot chocolate on it, but he slapped it down aggressively, meaning that some of the hot chocolate spilled, and some of the trail mix fell onto the tray. Terry just took a deep breath and looked to Ji.

"I guess I wasn't expecting a warm welcome." He sighed.

"Protocol demands I am polite." Ji told him. "But that does not mean I like having you here."

"Well, I think it's clear that's the case." Terry replied. "Don't you think...?"

"You forget, I have been in the Shiba House most of my life." Ji told him. "I knew your mother very well."

"You know, you really should hear both sides of the story before you judge someone." Terry told him.

"You turned your back on family." Ji replied. "I can think of no good explanation for that."

"Ji..."

"My friends call me Ji!" He put down with authority. "I have no right to stop you seeing Mia, but rest assured. The Rangers are very dear to me. If you do anything that harms them..."

"I know...I can expect you to kick my butt." He sighed. Ji just gripped his cane more tightly.

"If you harm my team, you will be lucky to leave this house with your life." Ji replied matter-of-factly. He shot him a look that showed this was most certainly not a joke, before leaving. Terry just turned his attention to the trail mix and took a handful, crunching into it. He knew this was not going to be easy.

Spike was deep in the woods, outside the city. He was skipping the rest of the school day, but by now, he really didn't care. Everyone had turned their back on him. He had gone from being the most popular kid in school to a nobody again in no time flat. Everything was falling apart.

He sat on a tree stump, and held his head in his hands. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was happy, he had friends, and now...he didn't. He started to think about what it would mean for him. Maybe he was the kind of guy that was just not meant to have friends. Maybe his parents had been right all along; maybe home school was the best thing for him.

"Spike?" He heard someone call out. He looked around, and soon, he saw Vicky coming around a tree. "Spike?"

"She saw him before he could answer, and made her way over. Jimmy and Mal weren't far behind. Spike just tried to hide his face as she sat down with him, putting an arm around him.

"You looked pretty upset..."

"You...you were right about everything!" Spike told her. "Those guys weren't my friends, they never were."

"Spike..."

"Melanie only went out with me because she thought I had my dad's money!" He told them. "As soon as she found out he didn't, she dumped me!"

"Spike..."

"Just...just leave me alone." He muttered.

"That's not what friends do." She told him sympathetically as she stroked his back. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not." Mal muttered, Jimmy just elbowed him in the ribs.

"You guys...you want to be my friends?" He asked them.

"Dude, we always were your friends." Jimmy told him. "Look, you might have been a bit of a dick lately..."

"Jimmy!" Vicky screamed, throwing some leaves at him. Jimmy just looked annoyed.

"Well, he has!" Jimmy reiterated. "But seriously, you may have had your head up your ass, but we always knew you were a good guy."

"You were the ones who were there when I was a nobody." Spike stated, finally grasping what so many people had been trying to tell him. "You were the ones who were my friends when you had nothing to gain from it."

"You were never a nobody Spike." Vicky assured him, hugging him tightly. "And yeah, you might not have been the greatest guy in the last week or so, but we all know that isn't you."

Spike got up and looked to Mal, seeing the way he looked at him angrily.

"I'm really sorry." Spike told him. "I don't know why I said what I did. I know you're not the kind of guy that picks fights."

"One of the football players told me that they were planning to jump some kid from Western." He told him. "They wanted you to be with them, when I said you wouldn't..."

"Wait what?" Spike asked him. "They said there was a rumble..."

"Rumble's kind of glorifying it." Mal snorted, though he regretted that, holding his nose as the pain flared up. "They know some kid from Western's going to a comic book store after school. They wanted to film you kicking his ass..."

"He's going to be there after school today?" Spike screamed. He just nodded, following which, Spike just ran off.

"Spike, where are you going?" Vicky screamed.

"I might have failed my friends, but I am NOT failing this kid!" Spike told them. "He's walking in there without a clue what's coming! I can't just let that go!"

The others sprinted after him. They were all skipping school, and all of them knew that they would pay for it eventually, but it felt good to see Spike this way. Their friend, their real friend, was back!

Mia and the others arrived at the Shiba House, finding Terry waiting for her. He smiled at her a little nervously as he stood up.

"Sis." He greeted her. "I..."

"Thirty seconds!" Mia stated coldly, folding her arms in front of her defiantly. "You have thirty seconds before I toss your ass in the gutter where it belongs!"

"Look, I guess I deserve that..."

"Guess?" Kevin roared, grabbing him roughly. "She's your sister! You sided with the guy...!"

"I didn't know!" He answered. "Seriously, I didn't know!"

"Bullshit!" Emily exclaimed angrily. "You valued your band over..."

"Do you think for one second I would have went with them if I really knew what he did?" Terry asked them. He pointed to Mia. "She's been there for me every step of the way. She supported me, even when mom and dad kept telling me my dream of going on the road with the band was never going to happen! She was the one that kept encouraging me to keep trying no matter how many times people said we sucked!"

"So you kind of missed the big belly and the puking?" Mike asked him sarcastically.

"I left long before any of that." Terry told them. "I didn't know why, then, but the rest of the band just kind of bombarded me with all sorts of stories. They told me about bookings all over the place, they kept telling me this was our shot. We were on the road about a week before..."

He paused and looked to his hoes in shame.

"They didn't tell me because they were worried I would leave the band." He told them. "They knew I was the best one on the band, and they were worried I'd leave if I knew about Aaron, so they got me out of town before I heard."

"So instead..."

"Why do you think the band kicked him out?" Terry asked before Kevin could continue. "I checked my hotmail account, and found a...shall we say...very strongly worded e-mail from dad."

He looked to the Samurai, who were all looking decidedly unhappy with him.

"He told me all about the pregnancy and all the shit Aaron had been saying about her all over town." He told them. "He told me that I wasn't welcome at their home anymore because I went with him."

"Terry..."

"I just completely lost it. I beat the crap out of him in a Best Western in East Colorado Boulevard." He informed them. They looked to Mia, who just stood with her mouth hanging open.

"I did actually pay attention to those lessons mom gave us." He told her. "The others pulled me off him before I curb-stomped his skull flat. I told them straight up that either he left or I did. They chose me."

"Terry..."

"When I called, mom answered the phone." He told her. "I've tried a few times, but they just hang up any time I do. Then, one day I saw the news, and I saw a Pink Samurai Ranger...so I knew you had to be here."

"Terry, you can't imagine how hurt I was." Mia told him. "I thought..."

"Mia, I'd never have chosen ANYTHING over you." He interrupted her. "Seriously, don't you ever remember all those times in our bedroom? Don't you remember what we called ourselves? What we dreamed?"

"Wait, Mia used to sing?" Mike asked. Mia just smiled.

"The World's Greatest Rock Band." She whispered, remembering those times they sang together years earlier.

"Mia, they got me out of town before I could hear what Aaron had been saying." He assured her. "Please, you've got to believe me. If I'd known for a second, I'd probably have ended up in prison for homicide."

The air in the house was still and silent as an awkward silence descended. He then shifted a little and took Mia's hand.

"I went to the graveyard." He told her. "I'm sorry."

"It obviously wasn't my time." Mia told him. "Terry, it's been so long, what are you doing here?"

"I'm attending medical college in the city. I'm in my second year." He told her with a smile. "Mom and dad always taught me to value education and not rely on music as a livelihood. I guess some of what they said did get through my thick skull."

"You're a doctor?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"Not quite, I'm a medical student." He told her. "There's a free clinic I volunteer for in my spare time. Its great experience and I love the patients."

He tailed off and looked to her.

"I sometimes do concerts to raise money to keep the place going." He told her. "I was hoping maybe you'd help me with one."

"You want me to sing?" Mia asked him. "Terry, it's been years! I wouldn't know..."

"Mia, you were crazy talented. If it hadn't been for the Samurai thing, you would easily have become a singer!" He told her. "Besides...it's not only singing I was hoping for."

He let go of her hand and started to shift, even more uncomfortably than before.

"As much as I hate the guy's guts, Aaron was always the song writer of the group." He admitted. "The last time we tried, we ended up with some garbage about minestrone soup. We haven't got any decent material."

"You want me to write a song?" Mia asked him. "Terry, I can't..."

"Antonio can." Jayden interrupted her. They all looked at him, at which he just rested a hand on Antonio's leg. "He has some pretty impressive skills on the guitar, not to mention he's written stuff..."

"Jayden..."

"I always wondered what it would feel like to be a groupie." Jayden interrupted him with a smile. "I think going out with a rock star would be kind of...hot."

"Are they...?"

"Jayden and Antonio are dating." Mia confirmed, taking a deep breath as she thought about it. "Terry, it really hurt when you left. It's a great cause, and I wish I could help, but...I don't know."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." He replied. As he was about to leave, Antonio just got up, putting a hand on the door to stop him opening it.

"I'll help." Antonio told him. Terry just looked a little startled.

"Really?" He asked. Antonio just nodded.

"Where are rehearsals?" Antonio asked him.

"The old theatre on third and fifth." Terry told him. "We'll be there at eight."

"I'll be there." He assured him. The others left with Mia, leaving Jayden and Antonio alone. The Gold Ranger just smiled.

"So, musicians are hot to you?" He asked. Jayden just shrugged.

"What can I say? I'm obviously a cliché." He replied, pulling in closely and kissing his boyfriend softly.

Spike got to the comic book store, only to find that it was already a mess. It was clear that something had happened there, and it wasn't something good. He saw the emergency exit swinging open, and ran through. The others were a little way behind him, but they only just pulled back as a body flew their way. It was a large body, one belonging to a defensive linesman.

Spike and the others all looked on, their mouths hanging open in shock as they watched a kid, possibly around fourteen years old, was taking the last of a group of six attackers to task. He sent one of them to the ground unconscious with a hard kick to the face, before turning his attention to the last. Spike would almost have felt sorry for the guy...if he hadn't attacked the kid with five buddies...didn't outweigh him by at least fifty pounds...and wasn't a senior. The kid caught his arm as he punched, twisting it with a series of horrendous snaps, and thrust him face-first into a wall. Spike just watched as the kid took on a guard, looking around to make sure there were no other attackers, before seeing them. Spike just held up his hands.

"You're the YouTube kid!" He snapped. "Is that what this is?"

"Whoa, hold on kid!" Spike told him. "Um...I don't want to fight..."

"No, I bet you only like to fight..."

"Seriously, I'm not here to fight you!" Spike assured him. He looked around at the wrecked forms of the football players, and had to be impressed. He had taken half a dozen kids, all of whom were bigger than him, and all of whom were older than him. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"My dad." He replied. "He taught me."

"My name's Spike." Spike introduced himself. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I guess I could use a paracetamol." He chuckled. "No matter how good you are, you always take a few licks right?"

"Right." Spike agreed. "So you are...?"

"Cody." He replied. "My name is Cody. Before you ask, yes I am a Western kid..."

"Who cares?" Spike asked him with a shrug. "We're all kids right?"

"Right." Cody replied. "Um...did you see if the new Green Lantern comic was still there? I kind of took this outside to stop things getting out of hand in the store."

"Why don't we check?" Spike asked as they went inside, leaving the football players to lick their wounds in the alley.


	20. Mia's Dilemma

Serrator followed at a safe distance as Terry left the Shiba House, and heading through the city. When he had seen a new face in the Shiba House, he saw another opportunity to cause the Rangers to suffer. His last attempt had not been terribly successful, but he could still see by the way they acted around the house that they were still reeling from the murder of their friend. While Serena was not a Ranger, and so the loss of her was not as significant as taking care of a Ranger, he had seen her leave, and saw how upset the other Rangers were to see her go.

Now, he wanted to continue his campaign of misery. He figured that by watching the Shiba House, he could find out if anyone else regularly came and went, in the hopes that he could find someone else that had a connection to them. Eventually he would find someone with a direct connection to a Ranger.

He had already ruled out the young boy that had been the guardian of the Bull Zord. Once the Bull Zord had been brought under control, it had reverted its loyalty to Jayden, meaning that the boy now had no real value to them, and had stopped coming around. He was sure the Rangers would be upset if he was wounded or killed, but it was hardly going to cause the trauma he needed it to. The boy appeared to have no real emotional connection to them, and now that the Bull Zord was in their service, it wasn't even as though his death would prevent them gaining its power.

This young man, he still didn't know if he had a connection to them, or if he was just a random visitor, but so far he had little else to go on. As Terry went inside the theatre, Serrator followed him. As he found himself on a balcony, overlooking the stage, he saw the young man approaching a group of musicians, setting up on the stage. He smiled and greeted them as he arrived.

"Well?" The drummer asked him. "Where's this amazing singer you promised us?"

"I'm...uh...I'm not sure she's coming." He told them regretfully. He saw the looks of disappointment on their faces. "Come on guys, what did you expect? We've not talked in almost three years! It's not like we could have expected her to just turn around and just joy the band without a second thought."

Serrator stroked his chin thoughtfully as he heard this. He had taken the time to observe the Rangers in all of their battles since he had been revived. He had gotten to learn as much about them as he possibly could, and he knew they had a bad habit of using their names in battle. He was sure he had heard them use this name, Mia, in reference to the Pink Ranger.

"Great, then we're going to have to cancel!" The bass player grumbled. "Unless we want to embarrass ourselves with that crap Eddie wrote about Minestrone Soup..."

"Hey!" The drummer protested.

"Dude, even you have to admit that was embarrassing." Terry told him.

"The point is, we need a singer and song writer." The bass player reiterated. He turned back to Terry. "Are you sure there isn't some way you can convince your sister?"

Serrator just smiled. This was an unexpected, and welcome turn of events. The Pink Ranger was this human's sister? It looked like he had found the direct connection he had been looking for. He had heard from Octoroo that Dekker had attacked the Yellow Ranger's parents once, but since then, they couldn't locate the families of the Samurai, despite the fact many of them had actually fought the previous generation. It was clear that since that incident, they had used a considerable amount of symbol power to create security measures that would prevent the Nighlock pursuing them, but for some reason this man was not using those security measures.

Just then, Antonio came into the theatre from the door. Terry looked around and smiled, seeing him coming towards them, carrying a guitar case, and a laptop bag. He high-fived Antonio as he arrived.

"Guys, this is Antonio." Terry told them. "He's a friend of Mia's. He offered to help us out."

"Uh...are you serious?" The Bass player asked. "Have you even heard him play?"

"No." Terry replied honestly. "But do we really have much of a choice?"

"We already have a guitarist." The Bass player told him. Terry just smiled.

"The Kinks had two guitarists." He reminded him. "Besides, if we cancel, who knows when we'll get a chance to use the theatre again? Why don't you set up and show us what you can do?"

"Sure thing." Antonio told them, handing his laptop bag to the bass player. "Fell free to look at some of my material."

As he set up, the other members of the band booted up his laptop to check out his songs. The drummer just tapped Terry on the shoulder and pointed to Antonio as he set up by an amplifier.

"Uh...is it just me, or is his guitar shaped like a fish?" He asked.

"Who cares?" Terry asked with a shrug. "As long as he can play it, his guitar could be shaped like a cream cheese bagel for all I care."

Their fears were quickly put to rest as Antonio tuned up and started to play. Terry just smiled and looked to the others.

"It looks like the concert's going ahead after all." Terry told them.

"Perhaps." Serrator stated, coming out of his hiding place. He started to approach them, at which Antonio and Terry just looked to each other. The rest of the band knew about the monster attacks in the city, but only they knew the true nature of Serrator. As they started to run for the door, Serrator fired a blast, demonstrating that they would never make it if he didn't allow them to. Antonio dialled his morpher out of sight, and just left it, hoping that someone would answer it.

"Alright, what do you want?" Terry asked him.

"Why, I just want to listen to some music." Serrator replied, taking a seat and crossing his feet on top of the seat in front of him. "I have a feeling we won't be alone for long."

Antonio and Terry just looked at each other, knowing the danger they were in. Antonio knew that with his morpher transmitting, someone would check on him eventually, but he couldn't morph in front of the others. Terry just nodded in understanding.

"Alright guys, let's check out some of these songs." Terry told them.

"Wait, we're actually going to...?"

"Eddie, do you really think we'd stand a chance of getting out of here?" Terry asked him. "Until something changes, maybe we should keep the horrible psychotic monster happy don't you think?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Antonio replied, keeping his eye on Serrator as they started to set up. "Alright guys, the first one's kind of a blues riff, just try to keep up."

Mia was sitting in the yard of the Shiba House with Kevin. She wasn't especially hungry at dinner, and so she had come out into the yard to think.

"So...your brother." Kevin sighed. Unlike the others, he actually knew that Mia had a brother before Terry arrived. Since finding out about Evan, she had been completely open with him about her family. He only went along with the consensus because he knew that her family was a subject she was still very guarded about when it came to some of the more complicated details. "He showed up huh?"

"I guess he didn't get the 'no-contact' memo." Mia replied with a shrug. "It's been so long since I've seen him...I can't believe he came back."

"You are his sister." He reminded her. "It's only natural he'd..."

"He'd show up when he wanted something from me?" Mia asked him a little abruptly. Kevin sucked his teeth.

"Well, when you look at it that way, I guess it doesn't sound so good." Kevin conceded with a little cringe. He knew how important family was to Mia, and she had told him how much it hurt when Terry left, thinking that he had turned his back on her when she needed her family.

"Kevin, it's been three years and I haven't heard a word from him." She reminded him. "Now he just shows up out of the blue, saying he wants to make amends, and I'm meant to just turn around and forget everything?"

"To be honest, I don't know him well enough to know if he's that bad or not, I've only met him briefly." Kevin told her. "Emily made up her mind pretty quickly."

"She's normally a good judge of character." Mia snorted. "Maybe she had the right idea."

"I was just going to remind you what Emily's going through." He told her. "She's pretty big on family too. You know how much Serena leaving's messing with her."

"That's entirely different." Mia snapped in response. "Serena left because she's grieving over Stephen. She didn't ditch Emily for some stupid dream of being a rock star!"

"You know, I don't think he really dreams of that." Kevin answered her. "You forget that he did say he was in medical college."

She got a little smirk on her face hearing this.

"Mom always did want him to be a doctor." Mia recalled. She then shook her head. "So what if he's in Medical College? He still..."

"If he's in medical college; that kind of limits the prospects of touring with a band don't you think?" Kevin pressed on. "And I believe he did say that concert was a charity benefit for the local free clinic."

"Kevin, we only have his word for that." Mia reminded him. "Forgive me if I find his word a little..."

He showed her a newspaper, which was opened to an advert for the concert. Sure enough, it showed that the concert that night was a charity benefit for the hospital. Sure enough, there was a picture of Terry with a band on the ad.

"Unless he's spending a lot of time and money on a really pretty elaborate scam, I think he might be telling the truth about this." Kevin told her. "And if he's telling the truth about that, then..."

"Why do you always have to be so damned logical?" She muttered, handing him back the paper.

"I think it might be a little bit early to write him off just yet." Kevin told her. "Besides, if he does turn out to be a jerk, you already know one little monster that's ready to fight your corner."

Just then, Ji came out of the house.

"Kevin, Mia, we have work to do!" He told them. They both came in, finding Mike working on a computer, with Jayden's Samuraizer sitting in a cradle on it. They just looked to him.

"Antonio dialled my Samuraizer, but all I heard was sounds and voices." Jayden told them. "I thought maybe he had sat on it..."

"Why would he dial you if he sat on his Samuraizer?" Mia asked him. Jayden just started to turn a little pink.

"Well...um..." He stammered. "I'm kind of his speed dial one."

He just shook his head and waved them back to the computer.

"But I thought I heard something in the background." He told them. "Mike ran it through voice recognition."

"And..." Mike told them, showing them the results. "It's Serrator."

"They're at the theatre." Jayden told them rather timidly. They all knew what was worrying him, it was another hostage situation. The last time they had faced that situation, Serrator had murdered Stephen. It was a horrifying situation for all of them, and it was Jayden's greatest terror that he would be forced to face such a failure again.

"No." Mia stated coldly, taking out her Samuraizer and storming out the door.

"Mia...!"

"We are NOT losing anyone else!" She screamed back. Jayden and the others just pulled out their Samuraizers, morphing as they followed her. Mia already had a large head start, and they could all tell she was determined that history would not repeat itself.

Back at the theatre, Antonio and the band had performed a couple of their songs, while Serrator just sat and listened to them, waiting for the inevitable rescue attempt. Antonio called the others in towards the laptop to show them another song.

"Alright, how long do we have to sit here and give this psycho a private concert?" Hank, the Drummer asked.

"Well, unless any of you has a SWAT team or a Power Ranger in your back pocket, we're kind of stuck here." Eddie, the bass player replied. "What does he want anyway?"

"Uh...I don't know." Terry replied, flashing a look at Antonio. Only the two of them could really guess what he was here for. Terry knew that Antonio was a Ranger, whereas Antonio knew about Serrator's previous attack. The last thing he wanted was to risk anything. Antonio looked to them.

"When these things show up, the Rangers aren't usually far away right?" He asked. "So all we have to do is stall him."

"Maybe." Terry replied, gesturing to a lighting display. "But...I think I have another idea."

He looked to Antonio and nodded as they both got the idea. He knew Antonio couldn't risk morphing in front of Eddie and Hank unless he had no other choice.

"That lighting rig." Terry told them. "I'm going to tip it."

"What?" Hank shrieked.

"When I do, everyone run as fast as they can." Terry told them. "Don't stop for anything!"

"I'm getting bored!" Serrator groaned. "I asked to hear some music!"

"We're just deciding on the song." Antonio told him. He pulled in the others. He was making some calculations for a slight adaptation to the plan. He knew that the distraction would give them some time, but he wasn't sure how much it would give them. He needed to do something to help them get out. "Right, Terry, you get the lights. From there, all go different directions and keep running until we get to the harbour!"

The band proceeded to set up for their performance. Serrator just gestured for them to begin.

"I do hope you've decided to do something different." Serrator told them, looking to Antonio. "I'm sure we don't want things to just be the same over and over..."

Terry launched a kick at a lighting stand, knocking it over and causing the bulbs to explode. The flash was enough to blind Serrator, who started to thrash about wildly. Having expected this, the band recovered more quickly. Hank and Eddie ran off in opposite directions, going through emergency exits, while Antonio ran towards the edge of the stage, and feigned tripping over the edge, falling down the band pit at the front to get out of sight. Terry saw this and paused for a moment, hesitating as he considered going back for him. He quickly realised it wasn't a mistake as the Gold Ranger emerged, morphed and ready for battle, carrying the Light Zord.

"That was clever Gold Ranger!" Serrator snarled, launching out a tentacle. "But not clever enough!"

He could only watch as Serrator snatched Terry from the door, and pulled him close. He grabbed Terry around the neck. Antonio held the Light Zord up, trying to get a clear shot, but struggling to do so.

"Now, this looks familiar, doesn't it?" Serrator asked him. "Now, how did this go first time? Do you remember?"

"I think you might want to look behind you." Antonio told him. Serrator just laughed.

"Do you really think I'm going to fall for that?" He asked. Just then, he found himself being smashed in the side of the head, sending him tumbling away from Terry. He looked around to see Mia standing, in Super Samurai mode, holding the offending Spin Sword.

He was about to taunt her again, but Mia didn't give him a chance, instead powering up her turtle disk. With a huge attack that blew him clean out of the theatre, she turned around, looking to Terry. She offered him a hand to help him up.

"Get out of here." She told him.

"But..."

"Antonio, I'm trusting you!" Mia told him.

"The others will be waiting for us." Antonio reminded him. "Come on."

Mia got outside, where the others were waiting for her. Serrator was just staring them down.

"Now, let's see how brave you are without hostages to hide behind!" Jayden snarled, as they started to close around him. Serrator just pulled out a sheet of papyrus, and started to cut it.

"At least Dekker used to stick around and fight himself." Kevin complained as Serrator created his monster and fled for the Sanzu River. Some Spitfangs and Giant Moogers showed up too, deciding to join the party.

"Wow, it looks like everyone's invited." Emily commented.

"Well, why don't we invite a few guests ourselves?" Jayden asked, pulling out the Bull Zord's control disk. Mia and the others all called forth their own Zords, bringing them into the fray.

Meanwhile, over at the docks, Antonio and Terry finally arrived, finding Hank and Eddie waiting for them. Terry breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that his friends had made it out of the theatre in one piece.

"You guys made it!" Hank called out, coming over to greet them. "Thank God for that! That was insane!"

"Yeah, who knows what that guy wanted?" Eddie agreed. "So, do you think...?"

Antonio and the others turned to see a massive explosion in the city behind them. Seeing the Bull Zord blowing some smoke from the end of its gun barrel, he just smiled.

"I think we can safely say that guy's gone." Antonio told them. "I think it'd be best if you guys got some rest. We all have a concert tomorrow, remember?"

"Presuming the theatre's still in one piece." Hank grumbled.

"You know, I think I can do something about that." Antonio assured them. "I'll have everything ready in time for the concert, you can be sure of that!"

"You guys go on to the motel." Terry told them. "I'll catch up."

As they left, Terry turned to Antonio.

"Antonio, what did that guy mean?" Terry asked him.

Antonio just sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm sure you noticed things were a little intense around the house." Antonio told him. "I'm not sure..."

"Antonio, all I care about is my sister." Terry told him. "I know I have a lot to make up for, but I really want to make things right."

"It's nothing to do with you." Antonio assured him. Terry just shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't buy that." Terry told him. "If something's upsetting her, if there's anything I can do, I want to know about it. Something happened, something bad, I know it did. I'm guessing not that long ago either."

Antonio just turned, leading Terry back towards the Shiba House.

"You're right about that much." Antonio told him. "There's something I think you need to know."


	21. Family Comes Home

Mia and the other Rangers arrived back at the Shiba House after their battle. Kevin was holding Mia, and they were talking to each other quietly as they came into the Living Room. Terry and Antonio were sitting, with a tray of tea. Terry looked more than a little pale. Seeing Mia, he got up.

"Terry..."

"Antonio told me everything." Terry interrupted her. "You...you saved my life. My big sister saved my life. I...I don't know how to repay you."

"I can think of a few ways." Emily muttered. "Maybe a one-way trip to Siberia?" Jayden just nudged her, giving her a harsh glare.

"Maybe we should give you some privacy?" Mike suggested. Mia shook her head.

"Anything Terry can say, he can say in front of all of you." Mia assured him, gesturing to her brother to sit down with her. Terry just took her hand.

"Mia, I know you save lives all the time. I know you would have done that for any Tom, Dick or Harry, but you have no idea what it means to me. You could have just left me...but you didn't." He gulped as he thought about how close he had come to meeting his end at Serrator's hands. He looked to her. "But I'd like to think..."

"Terry, I was mad at you, but when...when I heard you were in danger..." She started to say, before looking to him. "I was angry with you, but I'd never want anything to happen to you. When I heard Serrator had you..."

She couldn't bring herself to say it. Terry just smiled at her.

"I know you're not likely to just turn around and believe in me again. I get that." Terry assured her. "I'm going to be in town for the concert, and then I'm heading back home. There's a few weeks before term starts back up, so I figured I might spend some time trying to work on getting mom and dad to forgive me."

"Good luck with that." Mia said with a weak laugh. "You know what dad's like when he's made up his mind about something."

"It's just as well we both earned his hard head then isn't it?" Terry replied.

"I guess so." Mia answered. "Um...Antonio, you know you set up a secure communication for Serena?"

"I think I can figure something out." Antonio replied.

"I'm not promising anything, but I guess maybe if we got to contact each other..."

"I'd like that." Terry answered. "I know I'm not meant to be here, but I just had to come."

"I know I'm not meant to come here, but I just...I had to try and make things right." Terry told her. He then looked across, and saw Emily, still sitting, giving him a look that could kill. He then just sighed. "And I think I might have an idea how I can start."

He got up, and made his way over to the Yellow Ranger. He reached out for her shoulder, but seeing her expression, he thought better of it. He just gestured to the door.

"Can we talk outside?" He asked her. "Please?"

Emily just turned and walked with him into the yard. She turned, her arms still crossed defiantly across her chest as she looked back to him.

"Alright, what?" She asked him. Terry just took a deep breath.

"I don't blame you for what you did." He told her. "Antonio told me about what happened to Stephen. He told me about Serena...everything."

"So?" Emily asked him. He just pointed between them both.

"We're both in a pretty unique situation." He continued. "We're the younger siblings. We were never meant to be the Samurai, but we always grew up with..."

"Yeah, yeah, I have an older sister and so do you." Emily replied. "The difference is I never did anything to hurt Serena."

"No, but you did something pretty amazing." Terry told her. He went to an equipment rack, and picked up two shinai. "When she wasn't able to come here, you took her place. You protected her the way you knew she would protect you."

He threw one of the shinai to Emily, who caught it as it came close to her. Terry stepped onto the mat, twirling it casually, before lifting it into a guard. Emily snorted and looked to him a little confused.

"What are you doing?" She asked him. "Are you...are you serious?"

"What do you think?" He asked her. Emily set up as well, getting ready. She let out a yell as she came forward, the wooden swords colliding with a loud crack.

Inside the house, Mike looked around as he heard this. He was getting up, and preparing to go to the window to see what was happening, but Mentor Ji just put a hand on his shoulder, shoving him back down.

"Uh...Ji?" Jayden asked him. "Don't you think...?"

"Emily knows what she's doing." He told them. "I have a feeling Terry does too."

"Maybe we can tell him that when we're scraping what's left of his head off a shinai." Mike replied sarcastically. Ji just shot him a glare.

"Let them work it out." Ji told him, reaching into a cabinet for some Saki. "Now, after tonight, I think something a little stronger than tea would not be out of the question."

In another part of town, Spike came back to his place with Vicky, Mal, Jimmy and their new friend Cody. They'd had a good time, getting to know him after trying to save him at the comic book store, only to find that he really didn't need the help. Unfortunately, after a quick visit to the arcade, they had lost track of time. Spike knew his uncle wouldn't be too happy about him coming home late, especially after the house party incident. As they got there though, they saw a number of motorcycles parked outside. Mal let out a low whistle.

"Wow, there are some pretty nice bikes here." He commented. "Jeez, look, that one's a Gold Wing! I haven't seen one of these in working order!"

"You like bikes?" Vicky asked him. Jimmy just pointed up to Spike's house.

"I think they might belong to those guys." He told them. Sure enough, right by the front door, Bulk was talking to a group of bikers. As they came closer, they saw Bulk smile and give them some money.

"Alright, so it's tomorrow night at the theatre right?" He told them. "You'll get the rest then."

"We'll be there." One of them answered, before they started to leave. Spike just flicked a thumb after them.

"Who were those guys?" He asked.

"They're a local motorcycle club." He said in response, putting away his wallet. "I just hired them to provide security for that charity concert we're helping in tomorrow night."

"Yeah, that worked so well for the Rolling Stones." Mal whispered under his breath.

"You didn't tell us your uncle was running that!" Vicky screeched. "I've been trying to get tickets for ages!"

"Well, I think I can manage a couple for you and your..." He then saw Cody. "Um...he's new."

"My name's Cody." He introduced himself.

"Well, are you doing anything tomorrow?" Bulk asked him. "If the four of you don't mind handing out some flyers..."

"I guess I could paper my school tomorrow." Cody said with a shrug.

"We can meet up and hit the mall after school!" Spike suggested.

"In that case, here." Bulk answered, handing them some tickets. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

Vicky let out an excited little squeal, as she took the ticket. As the others left, Bulk smiled and looked at Spike.

"I thought you fell out with them?" Bulk asked him.

"I thought I did too." Spike answered. Bulk went into his pocket for another ticket.

"So...do you need another one for Melanie?" He asked him.

"I don't think that's her scene." Spike replied. "To be honest, I don't think I'll be seeing her again. I'd rather spend my time with people who are worth hanging around with."

"Come on in kid." Bulk told him, guiding him into the house. "I have a feeling there's a story there. How about you tell me over one of my world famous banana splits?"

"I'd like that." Spike agreed as he closed the door.

Back in the yard of the Shiba House, Emily was still in the middle of a bout with Terry. She was still venting her anger at him, but she had to be impressed by the fight he was putting up. It was clear he didn't train as regularly as her, and that he had lost a good few steps, likely due to a busier schedule and more chaotic training regime.

He took some hard shots, harder than was really necessary for an exhibition bout, but he kept going, and it wasn't as easy as she would have thought to take him down. He had some impressive skills of his own. His technique was easily good enough to put him in impressive standing in tournaments.

He spun away to catch his breath after taking another shot to the arm.

As she came at him again, he finally found an opening. Swiping her shinai aside, he managed to catch her across the stomach, before spinning around her, catching her across the back. Emily just turned to glare at him.

"You hit me first, remember?" He told her. He put down his shinai, and approached her, causing her to look at him curiously.

"You came in your sister's place. That's amazing to me." Terry told her. "And the way you came after me when you found out who I was, that was pretty amazing too. You have no idea how happy I am to know that Mia has someone that cares about her so much watching her back."

"So...what was all this about?" She asked him. Terry just sniggered.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked her. She shook her head. "What you did for Serena was amazing. You just have to know, if I had been around...if I'd known what she was going through, I'd have stepped up and taken her place in a heartbeat."

He approached her slowly, offering her a hand.

"I knew you'd never just take my word for it, so I knew I'd have to show you I had some game if you were ever going to believe that." He assured her. "Mia was always there for me when we were young. It wouldn't even have been a question. I'd never have had to think twice about it."

He came a little closer as he saw her looking down, before giving her a little smile.

"I didn't think giving you the chance to kick my ass a little would hurt as a way to get some of that anger out of the way either." He told her. Emily just forced a little smile. She had to admit that he seemed to have some skill, it did lend weight to his claim that he would have taken Mia's place if he'd known what she went through. She still wasn't certain about him, but she was starting to think that he was going to a lot more trouble than she could really explain.

"Wow, a male Pink." She commented. "That would have been interesting."

"I think my Great Grandfather was the last." He replied with a laugh. "Although, I think I would really have pulled the look off. I always have been secure in my masculinity."

As he took the shinai and went back to the equipment racks, hanging them up, Emily just looked after him.

"Terry!" She called out. "You still have a lot to prove. But you've made a good start."

"Thanks." He replied. "Come to the concert tomorrow night. It'd mean a lot to me."

"We'll be there." Emily assured him. Terry just waved to acknowledge what she had said, and left the grounds, heading for his hotel room. Mike and Mia came outside, coming to Emily's side.

"It seems your baby brother has some moves." Mike commented.

"He always did." Mia replied. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." Emily assured them. "I'm more worried about you."

"You know, I think in time, maybe I will be." Mia told her. She hugged Emily tightly. "Family always seems to find a way to come back to us.


	22. Run up to the Concert

The following day, the Samurai got up early as always, but determined to train even harder than normal. With the recent turmoil in the house, their training schedule had inevitably been somewhat chaotic. Between that and the fact that Antonio had agreed to sing with Terry's band, they had all decided to go. They wanted to work extra hard to make up for the time they had missed, and to get through it early to allow themselves time to prepare for the concert.

As they were working, only one of them was noticeably absent, though that was remedied as Ji came out of the house, dressed in street clothing...his very BEST street clothing. He was wearing a black silk shirt, with a couple of Kanji characters embroidered in gold thread on it, together with pressed, black suit pants, and freshly shined black shoes. As he came out, Mia let out a loud wolf-whistle, raising a laugh from some of the others.

"I will take that as a compliment." He chuckled.

"Wow, looking good Mentor." Mike agreed, coming over. "But you do know the concert isn't until later right?"

"Something tells me this isn't for Terry's sake." Antonio chipped in with a little wry grin. "Am I right?"

"I have contacted the hospital. Brenda is feeling much stronger." He told them. "She is being allowed to return home."

"Really?" Kevin asked. "So soon?"

"A sad fact is that secondary infection is the biggest killer in hospitals. They tend to like patients to go home as quickly as possible these days." Mia informed them. The others all just turned and looked at her. Mia shrugged in response. "What? My mom always wanted Terry to be a doctor! She started forcing him to read medical journals when he was in High School. It's hard not to pick up on a few things when you hear them over and over again."

"I guess now we know why Mia always made such a good nursemaid." Mike replied.

"She will still need a lot of help." Ji told them. "Jayden..."

"I understand Ji." He interrupted his father figure with an empathetic smile on his face. "We can keep up training by ourselves. You give Brenda all the attention she needs."

"Thank you." He replied as a horn sounded outside. "That will be my cab. I will see you when I can. Until then, take care of yourselves."

"We will Ji." Kevin assured him. "Give Brenda our regards."

As Mentor Ji left, Emily just sighed.

"I guess it's about time things looked up for us." Emily commented. Mike just put his arm around her.

"It's like we said, the people we love have a way of coming back to us." Mike told her. "Brenda's coming home; Mia and Terry are sorting things out..."

"The ones we love come back?" Emily asked him sceptically. She just looked up to him. "Try telling that to Serena."

They all fell silent, not really knowing what to say in response to that. They all knew Emily was upset about the fact Serena wasn't there. It felt a lot like she had failed her, like she wasn't enough for her when Serena needed her. Although she knew that one day, Serena would be back in her life, they all knew that wasn't what she meant though. None of them could deny what she had said. If any of them could speak to Serena now, to tell her that those she loved would return to her, they were sure it wouldn't be of any comfort to her. Not when they knew that the one she wanted to come back couldn't.

"Alright guys, enough distractions for now." Jayden announced, trying to bring their minds back to training. "Let's get back to it. Switch partners; try to work with someone you haven't worked with in a while. Mike, you're with me."

Over at Central High School, before classes started, Spike came to the door, finding Vicky, Mal and Jimmy waiting for him. He had his books in his back pack, but he was carrying an additional shoulder bag, which seemed to be very heavy. He smiled as he saw them.

"Thank God you guys are all here." He told them, putting the bag down. He pulled out some flyers. "This thing weighs a frigging ton!"

"I'll bet it does." Mal remarked as he looked into the bag. "Once the hospital benefit is over and done with, he'll probably need to do another charity gig to save the rainforest he must have cut down to print these off."

"Hey, they need advertising don't they?" Jimmy asked him. "So, what about Cody?"

"I dropped some at his dad's place." Spike told them. "It's kind of weird. It's really Japanese in its design; it kind of reminds me of that big house just out of town Serena lived in."

"Have you heard anything more about when she'll be back?" Vicky asked him. Spike sighed and shook his head.

"No, I haven't." He muttered. "But I saw Cody and his dad training in the yard when I arrived, they said they'd be happy to train with me and Uncle Bulk..."

"Are you still harping on about that Selena?" Melanie asked as she arrived with a group of other kids. It was mostly cheerleaders and football players, but there were quite a few hangers on with them. He just rolled his eyes.

"Serena!" He yelled at her. He had already resigned himself to the fact that Melanie never truly cared about him while they were going out, but considering the fact she had never once gotten Serena's name right, despite how much he talked about their lessons, he was starting to wonder if anyone could really be that ignorant.

"Whatever?" She replied, waving him off. One of the football players stepped forward. He had an impressive black eye, the result of his misjudgement over his choice of victim.

"So, wanna tell us what the other day was about?" He asked. "I always suspected you were a loser Skullovitch..."

"That wasn't what you were saying at the party." Mal interrupted him. "If I remember rightly, you were running around after him like a good little butler, fetching him drinks."

"You were at the comic book store Skullovitch, I saw you!" He snarled. "You were at the rumble, and you didn't do anything! You just let those Western punks..."

"Wait, what?" Jimmy asked.

"The Western High kids that went to the rumble!" One of the cheerleaders clarified. "They got the drop on them, and you just stood there..."

"Um...I think you might have heard a different version of the story than we remember." Mal chipped in.

"We all heard what happened." Melanie replied. "About a dozen..."

Spike and his friends all just looked at each other and burst out laughing. The crowd forming just stood, looking at them aghast.

"A dozen Western kids were there? Is that what they told you?" Vicky howled through her laughter, tears beginning to run down her face.

"Yeah, a couple of them lured the guys into an alley, and then the others jumped them..."

"There was only one kid there!" Jimmy chuckled. "The six of them jumped one fourteen year old, and they got their asses handed to them!"

"You're lying!" One of them screamed. "Do you really think one kid could do that to us?"

"We...kind of saw it." Vicky reminded him. "God, I wish I could have afforded a camera phone. I still bust a gut thinking about the look on your face when Cody..."

"Cody?" Melanie interrupted her. "You know a Western kid?"

"Yeah, he's actually a pretty decent kid." Mal told her. "Better than these losers anyway."

"You're the losers!" Melanie snorted. "I don't know what I saw in you Spike. Dumping you was the smartest thing I did."

"Well, if that's the smartest thing you've done, it can't have had much competition." Vicky said sarcastically. "But then, that doesn't really surprise me."

"Well, I guess that shows us what you're really made of after all doesn't it?" One of them asked as he looked to them in disgust. "You did nothing to help your..."

"I did nothing to help the guys who called me a loser and turned their backs on me jump one kid half their size?" Spike interjected. "Yeah, funny that isn't it?"

"Hey look, flyers!" One of the kids called out, seeing them in Spike's hands. He just snatched them.

"Hey!" Spike protested.

"So let's see what...?" Melanie's words tailed off. "You're advertising a concert at the old theatre?"

"Yup." Mal replied. "Why, would any of you like to come?"

"I wouldn't be seen dead in that place." Melanie replied, turning up her nose. "So, is this one of your odd jobs? What are you getting paid? Twenty cents a box?"

"Not one dime." Spike stated proudly. "The concert's for charity. It's to fund a free clinic..."

"God, that is pathetic." Melanie snorted.

"Wow, you don't understand charity or doing something for anyone but yourself." Vicky stated. "There's a shocker."

Melanie just took the flyers and threw them over her shoulder, scattering them all over the quad. Just then, they heard a cough. Turning around, they saw the principal standing behind them.

"I trust you are aware of the rules regarding littering Miss Goodwill?" He asked her. Melanie just looked sheepish.

"Her surname's Goodwill?" Mal asked. The others just sniggered as the Headmaster looked around the group.

"You will pick up ever one of these flyers." He told them.

"Sir, can I ask you something?" Spike rushed out. He showed him some of the flyers. "I'm promoting a concert for..."

"The free clinic?" He asked, his eyes lighting up. "Why, that is a fantastic cause my boy! I have to say, they have taken excellent care of my daughter any time I've taken her to see them."

"Well...could I put some up on the notice boards around the school?" He asked.

"Feel free to put up as many as you like Mr. Skullovitch!" He insisted. "And if I may, would you mind if I took some to hand around the staff room?"

"Sure." Spike replied, handing him a stack of the flyers. "Thanks. Um...I want to go hand around some more of these..."

"OF course, be on your way." The Headmaster told him. As they left, they couldn't help turning back, and having a little laugh as they watched Melanie and her friends being forced to pick up the flyers, before heading off to find others to give the flyers to.

At the hospital, Ji knocked on the door and waited for an answer, eventually getting one from the doctor. He came in, finding Brenda pulling on her blouse. The doctor handed her some notes.

"As I've said before, your body's still got a lot of healing to do, and it will take some time for it to get used to things." He warned her. "I've booked you into a session next week to see how your remaining lung is holding up, but if you experience anything that concerns you, don't hesitate to call us. You need to relax as much as possible..."

"I will help with that." Ji told him, coming closer. He waited until Brenda had finished buttoning up her blouse, before handing her a bouquet of roses. "I'll help you as much as you need."

"Thank you." She replied. He saw her wincing a little as she tried to get off the bed herself, and he helped her. He looked to the doctor.

"Is there anything else?" He asked. The doctor turned his attention to Brenda.

"Your ribs are still healing from where we re-set them as well." He told her. "We're not going to prescribe anything strong, it's best you are aware of how your body feels so you know if anything changes. However, if things do get a little too much, a mild over-the-counter painkiller like a paracetamol would not cause any harm."

"Thank you doctor." She replied. "Ji, can you take me home now?"

"It would be my pleasure." He answered her. As he put his arm around her, and started to take her towards the parking lot, she pulled into him, clutching onto his shirt as they walked down the hall.

After school had finished, Spike, Mal, Jimmy and Vicky walked to the mall, talking excitedly about the upcoming concert. None of them could wait for it. Vicky especially seemed to be pretty much bouncing down the road.

"The headline act is the Rebel Rockers!" She screeched. "I haven't seen them since they left town!"

"I heard they broke up." Mal commented.

"Nah, they just kicked out their lead singer." Cody told them as he leapt down from a tree, causing Vicky to jump back in fright and scream. "They've been doing small gigs and advertising jingles."

"Don't do that!" Vicky whined, smacking his shoulder. "You gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry Vicky." He chuckled. "Hey Spike, do you have more flyers?"

"You gave them all out?" Spike asked, a little surprised. Cody just shrugged.

"Most of the neighbourhoods around Western aren't as swanky as yours." He told him. "A lot of families really owe the free clinic a lot. Most of them were only too happy to help. I even had some say they were heading to the theatre to see if they could volunteer to help."

"That's great!" Spike called out. He handed them all out some more flyers. "Alright, Mal, you and Jimmy hit the food court. We'll hit the department stores."

"How about we meet at the falafel place at about six?" Jimmy suggested. "That should give us time to eat before the concert."

"That sounds like a plan to me." Mal replied with a shrug. "Alright, let's go!"

Back at the Shiba House, the Rangers were all getting ready for the concert. Mike had called an Indian Restaurant for some take out before they went. They had all worked hard, and had a satisfying fatigue about them. It felt good to work so hard, it meant that it felt like they had truly earned their night at the concert.

As Emily was busy putting the finishing touches to her outfit, Mia knocked the door gently. Emily saw her and gestured her to come in. Mia took a seat on her bed.

"So, are you looking forward to the concert?" Emily asked her. "I guess it'll be really strange seeing your brother on stage again."

"I have to admit, as mad as I got at him, I really missed him." Mia told her. "No matter what anyone says, they can't understand what it's like to have a sibling if they don't have one themselves."

"Mia, I..."

"Emily, we all know you're upset. You have every right to be." Mia told her. "I know that it hurt when Serena left, and you felt like there wasn't anything you could do to help her."

"Mia, I'm fine..."

"No, I don't think you are." Mia continued. "Do you want to know what convinced me that Terry was on the level?"

Emily just looked at her.

"I see what you feel like when you can't help your sister." She told her. "As mad as I was, as much as I had my doubts at first, the one thing that got me thinking was, you feel this awful and Serena's only been gone just over a week. If that's how you feel...how must Terry feel when he's been doing that to himself for nearly three years?"

"He told me that he would have taken your place if he had been here." Emily told her. "I kind of believe him."

"Emily, it's alright to talk about this." Mia told her. "Having Terry back in my life...it's really strange for me, but I really want to try and make it work."

She reached over, placing an arm around Emily's neck.

"You mean the world to me." She told her. "Terry's my brother, but having him back doesn't change what you mean to me."

Emily hugged her tightly, before releasing her. She looked to her.

"Do you really think Serena will be back?" Emily asked her.

"I can't answer that, I really don't know." Mia told her. "What I do know though, is that one day all this will be over. We'll all go back to our own lives...but nothing will ever stop us being a part of each other's lives."

"Hey guys, the food's here!" Kevin called through. Mia just smiled and looked over her shoulder.

"We're just on our way." She assured him. "So, are you willing to give Terry a try for my sake?"

"If you can give him a chance, I guess I will too." Emily answered with a little smile. "Sisters?"

"You know it." Mia told her. "Come on; let's eat before the guys wolf it all down."

As they got there, they found that the guys were already starting to sort through the containers, finding where everything was.

"Alright, shall we start with the pakora?" Jayden asked.

"I think I'll skip right to my main." Mike told them, finding his container. He opened it up, revealing the meal inside. He took a long sniff, and his eyes started to look a little glassy. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff!"

"Um...that doesn't bode well." Kevin stated. "What is that stuff?"

"Phfall." Mike informed him. "I found the only place in the city that serves it."

"Uh...Mike, that is the hottest curry on the planet." Antonio reminded him.

"Oh come on, you've got to live a little." Mike stated, taking his fork. "What's life without a little adventure?"

He took a massive forkful, and shovelled it into his mouth. The others all watched as he gave them a satisfied smile. They all just shrugged and started to portion out the starters, leaving Mike to his curry. All of a sudden, Antonio tapped each of them on the shoulder and pointed to Mike.

He had a pained expression on his face, and was starting to sweat profusely. Suddenly, he snapped to his feet and ran for the kitchen, spitting it into the sink with a cry of anguish, before throwing open the fridge door, grabbing the milk carton and gulping it furiously. Everyone in the Shiba House roared with laughter. All except for Emily, who had a look of concern on her face.

"Uh...I think I'll sleep on the couch tonight." She commented. "Something tells me the bedroom's going to be pretty uninhabitable."


	23. Concert Night

Spike and his friends arrived at the theatre, about an hour before the concert began, finding his uncle directing some stage hands around with equipment, and hearing the various requests from musicians. He came over, smiling as he did so.

"Hey Spike!" Bulk greeted him. "Aren't you guys a little early?"

"We're finished!" He told him. Bulk just looked to him a little sceptically.

"Already?" He asked in response. "Are you sure?"

"Every last leaflet's been handed out Mr. Bulkmeyer." Cody chipped in with a smile, tipping his bag upside down and shaking it to emphasize the point. "We kind of hoped getting here early would guarantee us decent seats."

"Maybe we could help set up?" Vicky asked hopefully, bouncing on her feet as she saw the musicians moving around, discussing their sets and talking with the crews about set props. Bulk just smiled.

"Go and pick yourselves out some seats." He told them. The kids ran off, leaving Bulk smiling. Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see some of the bikers he had hired as security standing behind him.

"Uh...can I help you?" Bulk asked them. One of them stepped forward. He was a reasonably small man, around five foot six, and very slight in build. He had a bald head, with a moustache and goatee. He approached Bulk, reaching into his inside pocket, and pulled out an envelope, handing it to him.

"What's this?" Bulk asked him.

"It's our contribution." He replied. Bulk checked it out, seeing that it was the money he had offered the bikers for the security gig. He just looked back to him.

"Hey, we bikers get a bad name. We just enjoy a hobby." He told him. "Me, I'm a hotel concierge. Nigel here's a mortgage broker. We only dress like this because we enjoy biking."

"Are you serious?" Bulk asked him. The man just nodded.

"We heard the acts tuning up. It sounds like it'll be a fun night." He replied, offering Bulk a hand. "I'm Adrian."

"Bulk." He answered. "Thanks for this, I'm sure..."

"Hey, the free clinic's a great cause." Adrian interrupted him. "Anyway, the doors will be opening soon, so we should be getting there. Have a good one."

"You too." Bulk called after them. He just put the envelope with the rest of the donations he had received in advance sales. It looked like tonight would be a good night for them.

Ji came into the main room of Brenda's apartment, carrying a couple of mugs of freshly prepared hot chocolate. She was lying on the couch, propped up by a large collection of pillows for comfort, wearing her nightgown and pyjamas. She smiled as she saw him set down his cup, handing her the other.

"I know how much you enjoy these things." He told her, stroking her hair softly. "How was your dinner?"

"It was miles better than the stuff the hospital served, that's for sure." She replied, gesturing to the half-empty plate. "I'm sorry; I haven't had much of an appetite lately."

"Whatever you need, I will have brought to you." He assured her, taking a seat carefully, placing her legs across his lap. He looked to her and smiled. "So...are you comfortable?"

"Ji, you really don't need to make such a fuss over me." She told him.

"You are still badly injured. You need to be cared for." He reminded her.

"Ji, I really appreciate what you're doing, but the team..."

"The team will be just fine without me." He interrupted her. He leaned over, kissing her softly. As they parted, Brenda let out a sigh.

"So...Serena..."

"Yes, that was a terrible blow." He agreed. "For now, we should worry about you."

"But Ji..."

"I have raised Jayden most of his life. To all intents, he is my son just as surely as if he had been born of my own blood." Ji continued. "I feel very much just as strongly with the other Rangers. I know they will be able to cope without me."

"Ji, I don't want you to spend all your time with me." Brenda told him. "The city needs you."

"I never said that I would abandon the city." He reminded her. "I merely said that for now, I will concentrate on taking care of you. Whenever you need me, all you need to do is ask."

"Really?" She asked him. Ji just smiled.

"It took more than three bullets to take you from me." Ji replied. "It will take far more than Master Xandred to take me from your side."

Brenda reached to put down her hot chocolate, but was stopped by a sharp pain. Ji took it from her, setting it down. Brenda looked to him and couldn't stop grinning. Returning the gesture, Ji lowered himself towards her, craning himself to limit how much she had to reach, and pressed his lips to hers.

Terry, Antonio and the rest of the band were backstage, watching the rest of the concert go off without incident, at which Antonio started to become nervous. Although they weren't exactly a major group, locally Terry's band still had name value, so they were going on last. It had been a long time since Antonio had been in front of an audience.

"Hey, are you alright?" Terry asked him.

"It's just been a long time since I was in front of an audience." Antonio told him. "The last time was in a show choir in High School."

"Well, they only have a couple of songs left." Terry told him. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Sure he is." Mia stated as she arrived, dressed in a fancy outfit. "He's golden, aren't you?"

"Mia?" Terry and Antonio gasped, seeing her. She just smiled and nodded.

"I got to thinking, and...it's a great cause and..." She continued, before just smiling and looking to her brother. "OK, I guess I missed performing with you."

"So, you're going to sing?" Terry asked.

"Just one song!" She told him. "I haven't prepared anything with you guys, so I couldn't do a full performance."

"Well, how about 'Everyday Fun', do you remember it?" Terry asked her. Mia just shoved him playfully.

"I wrote it remember?" She giggled. "Of course I do!"

"Well, how about we close out with it?" Terry asked her. "Antonio, tell the rest of the guys the change up. We'll do the rest."

Antonio just hugged Mia, grateful for her presence. He thought his love of performing would over ride his nerves, but since it had been so long, he had underestimated how nervous he'd be. Having a team mate there was a huge relief.

"Thank you." He whispered to her, before running off to find the others to relay the changes to the line-up. Terry just looked to Mia nervously.

"Um...I really..."

"Hey, what are family for?" Mia asked him. "So, how long until we go on?" As the audience applauded, and the rest of the band assembled, Terry just laughed.

"Not long." He told her. "You know your cue sis, we'll be fine."

As they stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted. Mia took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself as she waited for her cue.

In a wood, far from the city, Dayu was sitting by a campfire, enjoying the limited joy of the warmth it provided. There was little joy in her life, there had been little to enjoy for centuries, but now she had even less. Dekker was gone from her, and by the looks of things, he was gone forever. He had openly told her he no longer loved her, and had told her that he would destroy her if he ever saw her again. Part of her hoped dearly that he wasn't telling the truth, but given how much she had lost already to the cursed Nighlock, she had all but lost all hope. She could still feel Dekker's presence, knew he was alive and still stalking the land, seeking strong competition, albeit with his power limited by the loss of Urumasa. However, she knew that now it didn't matter how close he was. He was beyond her reach, even if he was only inches from her.

Her new mission, her new reason for living, for continuing her accursed existence without marching onto Xandred's Junk to be destroyed, or throwing herself on her own blade was vengeance, the consuming rage that burned within her very being, and plagued her every waking thought. She would see the Nighlock destroyed, every last one. Xandred had taken from her even the mercy of a natural human death, which would have ended her suffering centuries ago. She had lost the man she loved, having him returned to her arms twice, only for him to be torn from them again each time. The first time to ensure there was still a world left to live in, and the second time as an act of spite from one who already knew his fate was sealed.

Unfortunately, she was well aware of the fact power was not on her side. Xandred had an army to command. His power exceeded her own numerous times, and as much as she wouldn't admit to it, even Octoroo had enough power to see her destroyed before her vengeance was fulfilled. It was the reason she bided her time, waiting for something to change, something that would give her the edge.

"Dayu, Dayu, Dayu!" The Furry Wort started to chirp in its usual tone. In her aching loneliness, she had picked up a Furry Wort that Xandred had cast out as callously as he had cast out her.

"What is it my sweet Dekker?" She asked it. In honour of the man she loved, the man she would love until her existence ended one way or another, she had named the creature Dekker.

"Dekker, Dekker, Dekker!" It started its mantra. She sighed. Although she knew it had feelings and thoughts, it didn't have many. Most of what it said was simple repetition of what it had heard...

"Cliff, Cliff!" It gibbered. She just furrowed her brow, but then a feeling came over her. She knew it was right; Dekker was at the foot of the cliff she had set up camp on for the evening. She just lay down on a rock, and peered over.

There was a camp fire below, and there was some meat waiting. A couple of wolves started to approach. They saw the meat, and the leading wolf started to drool, slavering at the thought of the easy meal.

A yell went up, and Dekker ran into the clearing, brandishing a hand-crafted wooden spear, and rammed it through one of the wolves' hides, causing it to collapse with a yelp. A couple of the wolves rounded in time to see him and leapt upon him.

She wanted to intervene, but knew he would not thank her for the help. He didn't even adopt his Nighlock form, obviously hoping this pack of beasts would be enough to end his torment without the power of Urumasa. A sickening crunch heralded the end of a second wolf as he threw it into a tree trunk with incredible force. Finally, what he wanted, the Alpha came for him, leaping on top of him, bearing him to the ground.

It bit and slashed at him, seeking to assert itself as the dominant predator of the forest. Dekker, however, was a deadly warrior long before he became a Nighlock. In a swift move, he bore it over, shifting his weight so he ended up on top of it, before snatching up a rock. Dayu watched as he brought it down, hearing a crunch as he did so. He brought it down again and again, until the body stopped twitching. The rest of the pack ran off, squealing as Dekker stood up, drenched in blood, and covered in minor injuries.

Even now, he cursed his existence. He did not have it in him to fight to lose, or to simply destroy himself. The curse of Urumasa had gripped him strongly, and it seemed like no matter what he tried, he could not find anything or anyone able to finally take his life. Just then, he felt a chilly wind. He turned slowly to see a Nighlock standing behind him.

Up on the ledge though, Dayu was still watching, and could barely see the Nighlock that had arrived. She could see barely more than a shadow, a very familiar shadow, one that stirred something that even she had long since forgotten. She felt her rage building as she saw the silhouette she had seen centuries before.

It seemed that while Dekker's memory was altered, hers was not as reliable as she had believed. The centuries, the bloodshed, all the horrors she had seen, all of it meant that there were areas of her centuries of torment that she was a little hazy on. Her memories of that fateful day at Dekker's home, when the house burned around her and he had come to collect on her deal...she had always believed it was Master Xandred! The grin...the only thing she had seen for sure seemed to fit, but seeing this creature, she felt every single instinct, every vengeful wish in her screaming for her to act. No, this was the one that had done it all. Suddenly, a memory came to her, one clearer than she had ever had, and a name came to her lips.

"Serrator!" She hissed under her breath. She could feel his power, and hung back to see what he wanted. Attacking now would gain her nothing.

"Ah, we meet again Dekker." Serrator greeted him. "I see you are using your time productively, training the forest dogs."

"Who are you?" Dekker snapped, taking on his Nighlock form. "Answer me!"

"Ah, I almost forgot about that part of your curse, the memory thing." Serrator drawled casually. Dayu gripped the handle of her short sword tightly. He had confirmed her memory with his own words. "Well, I just wanted to see you use your impressive talents for good uses."

"What does my existence matter to you Nighlock?" Dekker asked him. "Leave me, or I swear...!"

"You'll do what? Bludgeon me with that rock?" Serrator asked him. Dekker looked to the blood-stained rock in his hand. He could feel Serrator's power, and knew that his position was hopeless.

"You seem to think my destruction scares me." Dekker answered, rushing him. Serrator just dashed him to the ground dismissively with his claws, leaving him lying there.

"Do you really think I'd bother granting you the end you seek? Why would I be so merciful?" Serrator asked him. "Not when I know allowing you to continue this existence would be far more intolerable."

"Just tell me what you want and leave." Dekker told him.

"I will give you what you want. The ability to seek the end you desire." Serrator told him, beginning to pace. "All I ask is that until then, you do as I ask."

"Why should I listen?" Dekker asked him. Serrator placed his hands together, at which they started to glow. As he parted them, a scimitar appeared between them. It was white, with a few red accents. Its handle was just short of two fists width. He held it aloft for Dekker to see. He could feel a power from it.

"This is the Bane of Life." Serrator told him. "You are Ronin, you currently have no master. Declare yourself a sword for hire, and I shall give you a sword. I simply ask that you wield it for me. What you do with it other than that, including bringing yourself back into conflict with the Red Ranger, is entirely your own business."

Dekker just took a knee before him. The Red Ranger had defeated him before, only The Judge had prevented his end being that day. If he could defeat him once, he was sure the Red Ranger could do so again. He simply had no way to force his hand. The Red Ranger had mercy, a concept that had been largely alien to most of Dekker's opponents. He wouldn't destroy an opponent he knew was no threat to him. With the power of the Bane of Life in his hands, perhaps he could force the fate so far no one else had been close to bestowing upon him.

"I am Ronin." Dekker told him, extending a hand. "I will accept your bargain."

Serrator handed over the Bane of Life, causing Dayu to get up from her hiding spot and retreat into the forest. Now, Dekker was back on his path of self-destruction, and she knew who was responsible. All the Nighlock would fall, she would see that, but now she had a new focus. Serrator would die!

The following morning, the Rangers had decided to delay morning training in order to go to the hotel to see off Terry and his band. As Antonio helped them load the last of their equipment into the van, Terry hugged his sister.

"I've sent messages to mom and dad explaining what you told me." Mia assured him. "It might not be a lot..."

"Hey, they were always going to be an uphill struggle." He assured her. "I'm just glad I've got weeks before I need to be back at college. I haven't been home in so long..."

"Well, just...keep in touch this time." Mia told him. "You remember...?"

"I remember the symbol." He chuckled, patting the pocket he had put a scroll in. "I'll hang it up in my dorm room as soon as I get back to college."

He looked to Emily, who was smiling a little, and approached her.

"Hey, I'm trusting you, baby brother to baby sister." He told her. "Don't let my sister's life be too easy."

"I think I can manage that." Emily chuckled. "Um...sorry about...you know..."

"What can I say? It's cool to know someone's willing to watch Mia's back so passionately." He answered, heading to the van. "Alright, I'll be in touch when I can!"

The Rangers all waved as he moved off in the van. Mike just came running up, groaning.

"Man, I missed them?" He asked. "I was only in the bathroom!"

"Maybe you'll think about that the next time you feel like ordering Phfall." Kevin sniggered, raising a laugh from the others.

"Hey, I've learned my lesson." Mike replied, wincing uncomfortably. "And I think I'll keep learning it for a while yet."

"Well, we all have training to do." Jayden replied. "Come on guys. Last one back to the Shiba House has to cook dinner."

With that, they all ran off, Mike trailing tragically behind. They all knew that more awaited them, and they doubted it would be long until Xandred and Serrator came back as vicious as ever. All they could do was make sure they were ready for it.

**A/N:** *Takes script for 'Kevin's choice', scrunches it up, and drop-kicks it into nearby trash can!* While I LOVED the last episode, for its character development, much of what it shows doesn't fit within my storyline, mainly because the main point...Kevin accepting his swimming has passed him by...I've already covered! So, expect the events within the last ep. To be subject to some pretty heavy personal re-writing for my storyline.


	24. Needing Help

Days passed with little or no real incident. Xandred never truly gave the Rangers a day off, sending Moogers every now and then just to keep them on their toes and remind them he was there, but on the whole, things were going well.

Almost a week had passed since Serrator's last strike. Ji was stirred from his sleep by a lovely, sweet smell.

He started to stir, and looked up, seeing Brenda in the kitchen with the waffle iron going, and a pot of coffee on. He snapped to his feet and rushed over.

"Brenda..."

"You've made breakfast enough mornings." She told him. "I figured it was about time I..."

"You are still recovering!" He stated. Brenda just held up a finger and gave him a warning glare, one that always chilled him, almost as much as the one his father always gave him.

"I'm not an invalid!" She snapped at him. "Ji, I appreciate what you're doing, but I'm not an infant! I can look after myself!"

"I never doubted it." He told her.

"Good." She replied. "Now, what do you like on your waffles?"

"Maple syrup." He replied. Brenda just looked in her cupboards, before sighing and looking to him.

"I'm out." She informed him. "If you want..."

"I shall go to the store." He told her. "Perhaps I can get the papers while I'm there."

As he left, Brenda turned out the first waffle, putting it aside. She hated feeling needy, feeling like she was helpless. She had moved out of her parents' house as soon as she had graduated college, and been living on her own ever since. Although most of the things she did still caused a little pain or discomfort, although she was noticing that simple things she had taken for granted seemed to tire her more significantly since the surgery, she had to admit that she loved having Ji near her. He was so dutiful and caring, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if she didn't have him to help her during her recovery.

Back in the Shiba House, Emily was at the computer. She smiled as she opened up a link.

"Hey guys, Summer sent us more pictures!" She told them. "She says the pregnancy's coming along well!"

They crowded around the computer; looking at the latest sonogram pictures they had been sent. Although the boys hadn't seen much the first time, and had been a little insensitive about what the girls had seen, this one was much clearer. It looked a lot like something from one of the "Area 51" conspiracy websites, but now they could actually see a real baby.

"Man, that thing's inside her?" Kevin gasped. Mia just slapped his belly.

"It's probably only a few inches long." She reminded him. "How far along is she?"

"Nearly seven months." Emily informed them. "She says she's really showing, but she refuses to send any pictures because she thinks she looks like a whale."

"Well, I remember when that goat Nighlock..."

"If you value your life stop right there!" Mia warned Mike. She then just looked back to the computer. "Have you sent a reply yet?"

"I just told her we were alright and things were going well." Emily told her, closing down the computer. "What else can I say?"

"Look guys, things aren't good." Jayden conceded. "We're coming back slowly, perhaps more slowly than the Nighlock, but we need to keep focussed."

"Easier said than done dude." Mike said with a shrug. "I mean, nothing's happened for a while, so whatever's coming has to be bad right?"

"That's why I wanted to call a meeting to discuss something." Jayden told them. He guided them all over to the main table, where all the power disks were waiting. He held up the Bull Disk. "Before he sealed it away, the Grand Shogun was working on something special with the Bull Disk. It has the power to assemble all the Zords into the Giga Zord."

"That's some seriously bad juju." Mike commented with a little whistle. "I mean, there's a reason the Bull Zord was sealed away for three hundred years right? There's a reason the Bull Zord went on a rampage isn't there?"

"You're right about that." Jayden told them. "If it isn't done correctly, the power unleashed will obliterate all the Zords."

The Rangers all looked at each other in horror at the mere thought of it. They all had innate connections to their Zords. They felt like a part of them, they could feel what they did. The thought of losing them was terrifying to them.

"Are we sure we want to risk this?" Antonio asked. "I mean, we are pretty powerful already."

"But the Nighlock are getting stronger." Jayden reminded them. "If there's something, anything we can do to make ourselves stronger, we have to take the chance. That's why, I want you to try and figure it out."

Antonio gave Jayden a little smile as he saw him handing him the Bull Disk. It was a testament to how much faith he had in him that he was willing to give him that responsibility. Still, he just shook his head.

"I may be good with gadgets," he began, before passing it to Kevin, "but Kevin's your man for Megazord combinations."

"Yeah, if anyone can do it he can!" Mike called out. "I mean, he figured out the Air Strike Megazord combination right?"

"I guess I can give it a shot." Kevin replied, looking around. "Where's my sketch pad?"

Over in the Netherworld, Master Xandred was sleeping, comatose by some of his medicine, but his sleep was not restful. There was a sound disturbing him. Octoroo found the culprit, a Nighlock, eating the beams of the ship.

"What do you think you're doing?" Octoroo asked, smacking him aside with his staff. "This is..."

"He is with me." Serrator interrupted him. Xandred started to come to, rubbing his eyes, before stroking his head to ease his constant, throbbing headache.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked. Serrator came closer.

"I found Skarf, he works for me." Serrator told him.

"He's eating your ship!" Octoroo informed Xandred. As he was about to get up, Serrator placed his blade across his chest to stop him. Xandred just looked to it, then back to Serrator.

"Speak quickly." He warned him.

"Skarf eats everything in sight until he is full." Serrator told him, drawing them both closer. "His true power will not be revealed until he is destroyed."

"A Nighlock bomb?" Octoroo chirped in delight. Serrator just wagged a finger at him.

"Nothing so unrefined." Serrator assured him. "Leave it to me."

With that, he left the ship, thankfully taking Skarf with him before he could eat the rest of it.

Ji was whistling as he came back towards the apartment block. He had picked up the maple syrup and the papers just as he had promised, together with something else. He had found a gift store that was open, and found an adorable stuffed rabbit that he was sure Brenda would like. As he got to the door, he found a UPS messenger sitting on the steps, rubbing his eyes. He was cursing constantly, and was splashing water on his face.

"Can I help you?" Ji asked him.

"Only if you can cure psycho bitches!" He snapped. Ji looked to his feet, seeing a parcel wrapped in brown paper there. It had Brenda's name and address on it.

"What happened?" Ji asked in alarm. "Tell me!"

"I got to the door, and someone was leaving so I just went up." The UPS guy informed him. "I knocked the door, and then when I went to get a pen so she could sign, the psycho pepper-sprayed me!"

Ji didn't say another word. He just made his way inside, since the security door was already open. He made his way up, before finding himself at the landing of Brenda's apartment. He knocked the door gently.

"Go away!" She screamed. "I'm armed! Just...go away!"

He had a key, since he had been coming and going for a few days to care for her and tidy up around the place. As he got inside, he caught a full-on blast of pepper spray.

He coughed and spluttered, and could hardly see. He could hardly breathe either, and his nose was running badly. He saw enough to see a shape coming towards him, and dodge aside before he heard a loud clatter as a solid object hit the wall.

He reached out as he heard a female voice, grabbing her and pulling her in. He felt her kicking; biting, scratching...doing anything she could to make him let her go, but he wouldn't do it. He had enough of his senses to know who it was.

"Brenda..."

"Let me go!" She screamed at him, slapping and scratching wherever she could. Ji just let out a soothing sound as he eased her down. Given her health, she quickly tired herself out.

"Brenda, it's me." He told her. "It's Ji."

She didn't say anything, she just clutched to him tightly, desperately, like her life depended on it. He just held her as he kicked the door closed.

The other Rangers ran to a battle, finding a Nighlock there, but surprisingly enough, he didn't seem to have any Moogers with him. They watched as, ignoring them, he grabbed a park bench, and it disappeared, followed by a satisfied belch.

"Um...did he just eat that?" Mike asked.

"After that Phfall, I don't think you can comment on anything ANYONE eats!" Antonio grumbled.

"Whatever, we have a job to do." Jayden replied. "Go Go..."

He was interrupted as Kevin bumped into him, charging towards the Nighlock. He had noticed something the others hadn't. As Skarf was reaching out to feast on a picnic basket, a little girl was heading towards it to save her favourite toy. Kevin dived, grabbing her and rolling to safety, but as he did so, he realised something was missing. He looked to the picnic blanket just in time to see...

"My Samuraizer!" He called out. Skarf had wolfed the whole lot down right before his eyes. Kevin could only look on, realising he had lost his Samuraizer.

"This isn't good." Antonio called out as the rest morphed. "What do you say we give this guy a fatal case of indigestion?"

Back in the apartment, Ji had finally calmed Brenda down. Despite his protestations, he had convinced the UPS guy to come up to the apartment, gotten Brenda to sign the form, and had convinced him to go with the impression, but no promises, that he would not press criminal charges. He was standing in the kitchenette, boiling a kettle as he prepared a teapot. Brenda, meanwhile, was sitting on the couch.

"I told you Ji, I'm fine." She told him. "I don't need tea."

"I think there is a courier that would disagree." Ji said as soothingly as he could. His face was still a little red, especially around his eyes where he had been sprayed, but he had recovered enough to talk with her. "Brenda..."

"I'm sorry Ji, I really am." She told him. "I didn't mean to..."

"It is only natural to be afraid." He told her. "What you went through..."

"I'm not the first person to be shot Ji!" She snapped at him. He shook his head.

"Sadly, no you are not." He answered. "I also sadly doubt you will be the last."

He came across, setting the tray down before her. He sat down next to Brenda, seeing her draw into herself as he did. He reached over, pulling her towards him and held her.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"I...I...I" She started to stammer. Ji just held her warmly. He knew that she had been through a lot. He held her warmly.

"Take your time." He told her. "He is the first one other than myself who has been here isn't he?"

"He reached into his jacket." She recalled. "I saw him put his hand into his jacket and..."

"You panicked." He concluded. Brenda just nodded, tears starting to run down her face.

"He was...I mean..."

"He is fine, I assure you he will be alright." Ji reassured her. "I doubt he will volunteer for this route again, but he will be fine."

"I ordered some books online a few weeks ago." She told him, gesturing to the box he had brought into the apartment. "I can't...I..."

"Brenda, what you went through, I doubt anyone would go through that and not be afraid." Ji assured her. She just wept.

"When I saw him go into his jacket, I saw it again!" She told him. "I saw the parking lot. I saw...I...I couldn't..."

"You are safe here." Ji assured her, holding her tightly as she broke down. "You are safe."

Skarf had retreated after the battle, taking Kevin's Samuraizer with him. The Rangers arrived back in the Shiba House, assembling in the main room to plan what to do.

"He ate my Samuraizer! Kevin muttered again. "He ATE IT!"

"Yeah Kevin, we all saw that!" Mike groaned.

"Without that..."

"We'll get it back." Jayden assured him. "I'm...um...not entirely sure how yet, but we'll get it back."

"Well, we better figure it out quick." Mia commented as the Gap Sensor sounded again. "He's back, and this time he's brought friends!"

"Kevin, until we get your Samuraizer back, you'll have to keep your head down." He told him. "Come on guys, let's go."

Dekker was sitting, meditating as he waited on the call from Serrator. He just smiled a little as he heard someone come into the cave.

"Is it time?" He asked.

"Yes." Serrator told him. "I want you to..."

"You want me to do battle with the Rangers." Dekker replied, getting to his feet. He turned into his Nighlock form. "I will..."

"Remember our bargain Cursed Warrior." Serrator told him. "I want you to wait until you see Skarf struggling to eat, then I want you to turn your blade on him."

"You want me to destroy your own Nighlock?" Dekker asked him.

"Is that a problem?" Serrator asked in response. "I did furnish you with your new blade."

Dekker looked to the Bane of Life and remembered their deal. He had given him the blade, the ability to seek out the Rangers again and force them into battle with enough motivation to destroy him. He just nodded.

"It will be done." Dekker assured him as he headed out the cave.

Back in the city, the Rangers had arrived in the city, and were busy trying to tackle Skarf and his Moogers. Mike was dealing with the Nighlock, while the others thinned out his Mooger comrades.

"We can't destroy him!" Jayden reminded them. "Not until we have Kevin's Samuraizer back!"

"But how do we even know where it is?" Mia asked as she took down three of the Moogers with a hard swing. "I mean, I'm no expert on Nighlock physiology."

"Maybe we just keep cutting until we find it." Antonio suggested. "We just hope he doesn't explode before we find it."

"I have an idea!" Mike replied, back-flipping away. He pulled out his Samuraizer. "Time for a crank call!"

He dialled Kevin's Samuraizer, at which the Rangers heard it ringing. Even Skarf paused.

"What is that?" The Nighlock asked, looking completely confused. "Where's that coming from?"

"It's his right arm!" Mia called out. "Kevin's Samuraizer is in his right arm!"

As they started to run towards Skarf though, they found themselves smashed back, ending up on a heap on the ground. Jayden was the first to recover, and looked up, feeling his chest tighten as he saw a ghost.

"Dekker?" He asked. "But...you were..."

"Apparently not." Dekker replied, bringing up the Bane of Life. He stood over the Rangers. "Perhaps we will get the chance to duel again Red Ranger."

"Why do you want to fight so badly?" Mike asked him. "You came back! You could do anything you want, but you're back to wanting to fight Jayden?"

"He is the only one who has come close to ending my cursed existence." Dekker told them. "If anyone can finally release me from this torment, it is him."

"You WANT to die?" Emily asked him incredulously. "You're sick! You're insane!"

"Perhaps..."

"No, you are!" She screamed at him. "You got something almost nobody else gets! You got a second chance! You got to come back!"

The others got to their feet as she strode towards him. They all knew what prompted this outburst; they all knew why his statement upset her so much.

"Emily..."

"Serena would give anything to get Stephen back!" She screamed at him. "Why would you fight so hard if all you want is to die? Why would you struggle and keep going if your life meant nothing to you? Why keep going if there's nothing worth going on for? WHY?"

Dekker paused as she got face-to-face with him. He didn't have an answer. He could still remember his battles in the arena, his fights to get free and come back to the land of the living. But one thing eluded him. He couldn't remember what made him do so. He just knew that something had motivated him to fight as hard as he could to come home. Her question was a valid one. If there really was nothing to fight for, why had he?

Just then, he heard a great moaning behind him and turned to see Skarf clutching at his stomach, which was bulging and swelling.

"I don't feel so good!" The Nighlock complained. Dekker remembered what Serrator had said and turned, rushing towards him. He sliced through Skarf with the Bane of Life, causing sparks to fly.

"We will have our chance to duel again Red Ranger!" Dekker assured him. "Until then, I am a sword for hire, and Serrator has paid the price."

"He's working for Serrator now?" Mike complained. "That's all we need!"

Jayden though suddenly realised this was their last chance to regain Kevin's morpher. Running as fast as he could, powering up to Super Samurai Mode, he sliced off Skarf's arm. Kevin's morpher flew out, landing by his feet.

Skarf exploded, ending his first life. Jayden picked up the morpher and looked to where Kevin was in cover, waiting to return to the battle. Jayden just threw him his morpher, at which Kevin morphed, ready for battle.

"Alright guys, he's coming back!" Mike told them. He grew to massive size, but this time, he seemed to have a massive shield as thick as a wall. "OK, that doesn't look good!"

"Alright guys, it's time for the Zords." Jayden told them. "This guy's not going down without a fight."


	25. Dekker's Back

The Megazord was smashed to the ground by another attack as Skarf continued his rampage. Antonio kept up the attack with the Claw Zord while they regained their bearings.

"God, no wonder Dekker cut him down!" Mike grumbled. "That shield's like a bloody wall!"

"We can't break through it!" Emily complained as they righted themselves. They caught the Claw Zord as it staggered back, clearly faring no better against the Nighlock's new shield. Jayden thought for a moment.

"Right, I'm calling the Bull Zord." He told them. "Maybe I can target..."

"Why bother targeting anything?" Kevin asked him. "Why not just smash through the shield?"

"Uh...in case you haven't been paying attention, that shield of his..."

"No I'm serious Mike; I think I figured out the Giga Zord." Kevin told them. "Antonio, are you up for it?"

"Hey, whatever it takes to not get dumped on my butt!" He replied.

"Alright, let's try it." Jayden told them. "Call all the Zords!"

The zords disassembled, and charged towards Skarf as the others materialised. The Nighlock hid behind his shield as they fired power beams at him, which splashed off it, leaving him unharmed. Jayden looked to Kevin as the Zords all assembled.

"Alright Kevin, this is your show." He told him. "We'll follow your lead."

Kevin pulled out his Samuraizer and whispered a little prayer to himself. He started to trace a symbol in the air.

"Dragon Folding, Swordfish Zord!" He called out. Mike followed his lead.

"Bear Folding Zord, Beetle Zord!" He added, looking to Emily. She joined him.

"Ape Folding Zord!" She called out.

"Turtle Folding Zord!" Mia added.

"OctoZord, Claw Zord!" Antonio shouted as he texted his Zords. "I really hope you know what you're doing Kev."

"Lion Folding Zord, Tiger Zord, Bull Zord!" Jayden called out, feeling the power coursing through him. Every inch of him burned, but in a good way. Before he even called it, he just felt that it would work. "Giga Zord transformation!"

All the Zords came together, forming into the biggest combination they ever had. They could feel the Zords coming together and augmenting each others energy many times. As they appeared in the cockpit, they looked to their consoles and the power levels that were surging to levels none of them could have believed possible.

"Kev, this is awesome!" Mike complimented him.

"You haven't seen the half of it!" Jayden told them, preparing his Mega Blade. "Let's see what this thing can do!"

"Final Strike!" They chorused. Skarf held up his shield once more, but this time it was not enough. Such was the power behind the attack that it blasted straight through it. Pitching backwards slowly, Skarf hit the ground and exploded. Jayden reached across, placing a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"Nice job Kevin." He told him. "You really are the man when it comes to Megazord combinations."

In a cave, miles from the city, Dekker waited for Serrator to return. He didn't trust the Nighlock, hell, he didn't trust anyone really. Although with no one else, and nothing to fight for, he had no other option but to follow him.

He drove the Bane of Life into the ground, and thought about that for a moment. Something still seemed to be wrong with the whole scenario. Not him helping a Nighlock, he already knew that was wrong, he merely allied himself with Serrator since it seemed like the only way to force the Red Ranger to give him the duel he so desperately sought. No, it was something about the little one, the Yellow Ranger, and what she had said to him.

"Why fight so hard if you have nothing to fight for?" He mused as he recalled her rant. He knew that part of his curse was that his memory was taken, but he had to think that she had something of a point. He had been defeated once, and he had fought to regain his freedom against The Judge, but he had no idea why. Why would he fight so passionately? Was there something he wanted that he just couldn't remember? Was there some reason he was so desperate to survive?

He turned around with a snap as Serrator arrived. He just sat down.

"Skarf fell." Serrator told him. "The Rangers..."

"They are strong opponents." Dekker interrupted him. "If they were simple to defeat, do you really think Master Xandred wouldn't have done so already?"

"You forget your place." Serrator growled. "I will have work for you..."

"I have no doubt of it." Dekker interrupted him again, grabbing the Bane of Life and looking to him casually. "Now, if that's everything, I would appreciate some privacy. I like to eat alone."

Serrator just turned on his heel and stormed from the cave. He would call on Dekker again, he was far too powerful an ally to discard, but he was starting to wonder if it was worth the effort.

Meanwhile, Dayu watched Serrator leaving the cave and sighed. She could understand why he wanted Dekker working with him, but she had no idea why he would want to work with Serrator. She knew that he probably didn't know the part Serrator had played in his curse, but she was sure he had to know that Serrator had no care for his well-being. Of course, she was also sure that might be part of the attraction. After all, she knew he was seeking an end to his torment at the hands of the Red Ranger.

"Is this a bad time?" She heard someone behind her say. She turned, seeing a man with prominent facial tattoos standing behind her. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. An Asian woman was with him.

"You know, most sensible humans would run as fast as they could when they saw me." She told him.

"Even when they owe you?" He replied, changing form into his Org form. "Besides, who says I'm human?"

"Jindrax?" She gasped. "But...why?"

"We owe you more than we can ever repay." Toxica stated, coming closer. "But we think we may be able to begin to do so."

"How?" Dayu asked them.

"We know where Urumasa is." Jindrax told her. Dayu jerked around as she heard this. She didn't know Urumasa even still existed, never mind where it was. She then remembered keenly what The Judge had told her. The curse was on Urumasa! There was a reason he had sent it away. In spite, he didn't want Dekker to have the chance to rid himself of the curse. Now, she had something she hadn't had in a long time, she had hope. If she wanted to rid herself and Dekker of their curse, she had to see Urumasa destroyed.

"Where?" She asked them. "Where is it?"

"It's in Scotland." Toxica informed her. "It's in a place called Faslane..."

"Take me there." Dayu told them, gathering up her harmonium, and the Furry Wort Dekker.

"Uh...it's not that simple." Toxica informed her. "Faslane's a naval base! It's not like you can just waltz in there and..."

"You let me worry about that." Dayu told her. "Just take me there. I'll take care of the rest."

"Well, like I said, we owe you." Jindrax sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I guess all we can do is help you."

With that, they all turned and disappeared into a gap, preparing for the long journey to come. She had no idea how to destroy Urumasa, but she knew one thing, the first step to doing so required her to get it, no matter what stood in her way.

Back at the Shiba House, Jayden was sitting alone in the yard, playing with the Lion Zord, its reward for its part in the earlier battle. He sat, holding his fingers near it for it to jump for, pulling them away as it snapped at them. He couldn't get over what he had seen. Dekker, the deadliest opponent he had ever faced was back. He didn't know how, and he certainly had no idea why he was back, but all he knew was that once again, he had to worry about The Cursed Warrior.

He could still remember the battle vividly. It was one of the toughest he'd ever faced. He had a few scars, but the one on his right shoulder was one of the most prominent in his mind. He could still remember Urumasa plunging into his shoulder, impaling him. He still remembered vividly the weeks of physiotherapy it took to regain full use of his arm. He remembered having the blade still inside him as Dekker staggered, holding what remained of his sword to the edge of the cliff and fell, vanishing in a dark cloud of smoke.

"I guess it was too much to hope for he was gone for good." Antonio stated, seeing Jayden playing absent-mindedly with the Lion Zord, pulling his fingers away as it snapped at them. The distraction meant that he forgot to pull away and it finally managed to bite his right middle finger. He shook it as he felt the pain.

"Damn it!" He muttered. He looked to the Lion Zord, which was looking at him slightly sheepishly. It knew the game, and knew it wasn't meant to bite him. Jayden just looked to it. "It's alright, it's my fault. I wasn't paying attention."

He then looked to Antonio as he unleashed the Octozord, letting it distract the Lion Zord and sat next to Jayden. "So...Dekker's back."

"Apparently so." Jayden replied shortly. "Antonio..."

"Dude, I get it." Antonio assured him. "I mean, seriously, we all know that all the Nighlock are after us, but Dekker...that's a whole different thing. That guy's obsessed!"

"Yeah, I had kind of noticed." Jayden muttered.

"Seriously Jay, he did everything he could to fight you. He stalked you for months. He tried to kill you for most of the year." Antonio reminded him.

"Yeah, I kind of remember that." Jayden told him. "I mean, I have the scar to prove it."

"Jayden, no one else came as close to taking you out as he did." Antonio told him. He put his arm around his boyfriend, pulling him in closer. "I know if someone..."

"Why is he back, I thought he was destroyed!" Jayden commented. "Now he's working for Serrator?"

"Yeah, that definitely can't be good news." Antonio agreed. "Still, you know you have something that he doesn't."

"What's that?" Jayden asked him. Antonio just smiled and gestured to himself.

"Something worth fighting for obviously." He answered. Jayden pulled in, kissing him softly.

"You don't know what that means to me." Jayden replied. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have all of you."

"Which is ironic considering the fact you didn't want Ji to call the others." Antonio teased him. Jayden just shoved him off the bench playfully, sharing a laugh with him. He didn't know what was coming, all he knew was that in time, he would have to face Dekker again, and this time, he had to ensure it was for keeps.

Meanwhile, far from the Shiba House, on a farm many miles from the city, Serena was in a barn, working hard on her technique. Her parents' farm had two barns, one they had built, and one that had been there since...well...no one was really sure. This second, older barn was no mere storage space, this was the family dojo. It had been the place where generations of Yellow Samurai had worked to perfect their skills until they were called to serve the Shiba Clan.

Although she was home, it didn't really feel like home. It wasn't the place she felt safe and happy. She had come home to scatter Stephen's ashes, and to prevent her desire for vengeance placing the rest of the Rangers, including her kid sister in danger again.

As she spun around, the blade of Kasamune slicing through the air with a distinct whistle, she couldn't help imagining Serrator on the other end. Since Dekker's attack on the farm, protective symbols had been erected around the farm meaning that she knew no Nighlock would be able to enter the grounds, but that didn't stop her fantasising about the day that she would be able to stare into his eyes as she took his head from his shoulders.

She fell to her knees, virtually collapsing from exhaustion. Ever since she had gotten back she had barely rested at all. She slept when she could, but other than that, she was constantly working to make herself better. She needed to be better, to be the best there ever was. The last time she had met Serrator, he had left her lying with barely any effort at all. The only reason he hadn't broken her neck and killed her was because to him, it was far more satisfying to know that she was still separated from Stephen, to know that she had to live with her loss. She couldn't go after him again, not until she was sure she was ready. The next time they met, she was determined she would ram Kasamune through whatever Nighlock had that counted as a heart. She heard something at the door and turned, snatching up her sword, only to stop as she saw her mother there.

Her mother, the last Yellow Ranger, was carrying a tray with some food on it. Serena had barely set foot in the house since she arrived. She spent almost all her time out in the barn working on her technique. Her mother just set the tray down.

"I brought you some soup and sandwiches." She said nervously. Although she would always want her little girls to return to her, she was not happy at the change in Serena. It wasn't the fact that she now had a dragon tattoo across virtually the length and breadth of her back despite her own distaste for body art, something she had vowed to take up with Daisuke if she ever saw him again, and it wasn't the fact that she had barely entered the house. It was the way she seemed to be punishing herself for what had happened.

"Thanks." Serena grunted, going back to her workout. Her mother just sighed.

"Serena, it's been days." She reminded her. "Please, just come into the house."

"Mom..."

"Sweetie, this is your home!" She implored her. "You spend all your time out here, hell; I can't remember the last time you even slept in the house!"

"What do you want from me mom?" Serena asked her incredulously. "Seriously, what do you expect? Did you think I'd be jumping for joy? Did you think I'd be sitting listening to dad's crappy jokes over the morning bacon? Did you think I'd be dancing the fu...?"

"You will NOT speak to me like that in my own home!" Her mother screamed, causing Serena to look away. Although it had been many years since her mother was an active Ranger, she could still carry herself in a way that terrified Serena and Emily. There was still something of the woman that had fought Master Xandred over twenty years before in her. "You're hurting, and I've given you a lot of latitude, but you are not excused from your actions or words. You still carry the responsibility of the effect your actions have on those around you!"

"I don't need a lecture mom!" Serena snapped. "I need to get back to work."

"Emily is the Yellow Ranger, not you!" Her mother reminded her. Serena just shook her head.

"I don't want to take Emily's place." She told her. "All I want is Serrator's fu..."

She saw her mother's stern look and hastily re-thought her words.

"All I want is Serrator's head." She told her. "Once I have that..."

"Then what?" Her mother asked her. She came closer, placing a hand on Serena's shoulder. "Confucius once said, if you seek vengeance, you must first start by digging two graves."

"Do you think I really care?" Serena asked her coldly. Her mother just shook her head.

"You may not, but others do." She replied. "I love you, and I will do anything I can to help you, but right now, all I can say is...grow up! Stop being so God damned selfish, and appreciate that others actually do care what happens to you!"

She went to the corner and started to gather up some of Serena's things. She had set up a makeshift bedroom of sorts, putting a sleeping bag and a few things in there for when she was no longer able to train, for the couple of hours a night she actually could sleep. Serena strode over.

"What are you doing?" Serena screamed. "That's my stuff!"

"It's mine actually! I paid for all of it!" Her mother reminded her. "That's my sleeping bag and my lamp and my..."

Her words tailed off as she picked up the sleeping bag and something fell out. Serena just looked to her mother as she realised what it was. It was the Master System Stephen had bought at the market. Her mother picked it up and looked to her.

"What the hell is this?" She asked her.

"It's a Sega Master System." Serena replied coldly. Her mother stepped closer.

"Don't get smart with me Serena; I can see what it is." She replied coldly. "You didn't have a games console, so I am asking you again, what is this?"

Serena just stood, crossing her arms in front of her defiantly. She knew she couldn't give her mother a satisfactory answer.

"It's his isn't it?" Her mother asked her. Serena didn't say anything. Her mother launched it into the wall of the barn far away from where they were standing, at which it shattered into pieces. Serena looked to her mother angrily.

"You have no right...!"

"We are doing all we can to protect the world, our duties run far deeper than your need to keep a momento of your boyfriend." Her mother warned her.

"I love him mom!" Serena screamed, tears beginning to run down her face. "I love him, and I would give anything to have him back, but I know that can't happen! All I have left is..."

"Vengeance is a selfish emotion. There are people who want you to feel happy again, believe that." She stated. "But if you pursue this path, I guarantee, that by the time all is said and done, you will have nothing left."

"Is that all?" Serena asked her, sniffing back some tears. Her mother just shook her head, gathering up Serena's camping supplies.

"You're not the only one who's lost someone. Your father was not the first man I loved." She reminded her daughter. "When you are ready to accept that you have a family that wants you to live your life, you are welcome in the house any time. Until then, if you are determined to turn your back on your family, then you turn your back on everything we have."

"I have training to do." Serena replied, pointing to the tray. "I'll return the tray and the dishes. Thanks for the food."

With that, she went back to her training. Her mother left, cursing the fact that her daughter had her strong will, and her father's hard head. As much as she wanted to help her, there was nothing she could do until Serena asked for it.

As Serena continued to practice, ignoring the wreckage of the Master System, she didn't notice something falling behind a bale of hay, something that had been hidden inside. It was Stephen's last creation, an octagonal Power Disk, designed for Kasamune.

Fin.

**A/N: **This story is already longer than I anticipated, but believe me when I say there WILL be others!


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